Patent Publication Number: US-8109795-B2

Title: USB/ESATA combo receptable featured with ground layer retarding interfaces therebetween

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/630,725, filed on Dec. 3, 2009 and entitled “RECEPTACLE CONNECTOR HAVING SHUTTLE TO SELECTIVELY SWITCH TO DIFFERENT INTERFACES”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/701,607, filed on Feb. 8, 2010 and entitled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FEATURED USB/eSATA INTERFACES”; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/702,293 filed on Feb. 9, 2010 and entitled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FEATURED USB/eSATA INTERFACES INCORPORATED WITH ADDITIONAL POWER CONTACT”; all of which have the same assignee as the present invention. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector compatible to standards of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) protocols and having a grounding member which is disposed between the USB contact set and the eSATA contact set to improve the cross-talk between the two contact sets. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,371,116 issued to Chiang on May 13, 2008 discloses a connector socket compatible to external serial ATA (eSATA) and universal serial bus (USB) connectors has a casing, an eSATA contact set and a USB contact set. The casing has a cavity defined in the casing, an inner rear surface and a contact seat formed on and extending forward from the inner rear surface. The eSATA contact set is mounted on the contact seat and has multiple eSATA contacts being conductive and mounted on the contact seat. The USB contact set is mounted on the contact seat opposite to the eSATA contact set and has multiple USB contacts mounted thereon the contact seat. It can be readily seen from the disclosure of the Chiang &#39;116 patent that cross-talk will be produced between the eSATA contact set and the USB contact set, which may weaken the capability of the connector. 
     In addition, cross-talk is a concern in designing a high performance connector. Therefore, an improved electrical connector having lower cross-talk is highly desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector compatible to both standards of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) protocols and having a first mating portion and a second mating portion with a grounding member disposed between the first and second mating portions. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a mating cavity, two parallel and stacked mating portions respectively forwards extending into the mating cavity, sets of contact retained in the housing and a grounding member retained in the housing. The first mating portion defines thereon a first surface; the second mating portion spaces from the first mating portion and defines thereon a second surface opposite to the first surface. The sets of contact include a first set of contacts each defining a contacting section exposed upon the first surface and a second set of contacts each defining a deflectable cantilevered beam accessible from the second face. The grounding member is disposed between the first and second mating portions. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1  with the shell removed; and 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 1 , showing the grounding member disposed between eSATA contacts and USB contacts. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , disclosed here is an electrical connector  100  made in accordance with the present invention. The electrical connector  100 , compatible to standards of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) protocols, includes an insulative housing  1 , a shielding shell  2  surrounding the housing  1 , sets of contact retained to the housing  1  and a grounding member  7  disposed in the housing  1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , the housing  1  defines a base portion  12 , a pair of sidewalls  13  respectively extending forwards from two opposite ends of the base portion  12 , a mating cavity  10  defined by the pair of sidewalls  13  and the base portion  12  commonly and two mating portions A, B spaced from each other and respectively extending forwards from the base portion  12  and into the mating cavity  10  along a mating direction. The mating cavity  10  runs through a front end of the housing  1 . The first and second mating portions A, B spaced away from said opposite sidewalls  13  and stacked with each other in a vertical direction. The first mating portion A is parallel to the second mating portion B and has thereon an upper/first surface  110  and a third surface  114  opposite to the first surface  110 , the second mating portion B defines a lower/second surface  111  and a fourth surface  115  facing to the third surface  114 . The first mating portion A defines a first interface, and the second mating portion B defines a second interface individually spaced from each other. Although the first and second mating portions A, B are closely arranged to each other, but they are functionally and physically distinct from each other. 
     The first mating portion A unites with the second mating portion B to define a tongue portion  11  of the electrical connector  100 , and the first surface  110  of the mating portion A is provided as a top surface of the tongue portion  11 , and the second surface  111  of the mating portion B is provided as a bottom surface of tongue portion  11 . The tongue portion  11  defines two opposite side surfaces  112  facing to the sidewalls  13 , a front face  113  connecting with the side surfaces  112  and the first and second surfaces  110 ,  111 , and a receiving slot  14  recessed forwards and sideward from a rear face of the base portion  12  to run through the side surfaces  112  and the front surface  113  of the tongue portion  11  thereof. The receiving slot  14  is disposed between the third and fourth surfaces  114 ,  115 . Stand-off portions  15  are formed at a joint of the first surface  110  of the tongue portion  11  and the base portion  12  to increase the rigidity of the tongue portion  11 . 
     The contacts are grouped into a first set of contacts  3 , totally seven eSATA contacts are included for connecting with a first complementary connector/an eSATA plug (not shown), a second set of contacts  4 , totally four USB contacts are included for connecting with a second complementary connector/a USB plug (not shown), and a detecting pairs  5 . The first set of contacts  3  includes two pairs of differential pairs  30 A,  30 B for signal transmission and three grounding contacts G 1 , G 2  and G 3  located alternatively at two opposite sides of the differential pairs  30 A,  30 B. The first set of contacts  3  is defined as an eSATA contact set, and the second set of contacts  4  is defined as a USB contact set. 
     The eSATA contacts of the first set of contacts  3  have similar configuration and each includes a retention section  31  retained in the base portion  12 , a blade contacting section  32  extending forward from the retention section  31  and a leg section  33  bending downwards from the retention section  31 . The contacting sections  32  are arranged on the first surface  110  of the first mating portion A along a traverse direction perpendicular to the mating direction, and the leg sections  33  extend out of the base portion  12  to connect with a printed circuit board (PCB). 
     The second set of contacts  4  each includes a retention section  41  retained in the base portion  12 , a deflectable cantilevered beam  42  forwards extending from the retention section  41  into the mating cavity  10 , and a leg section  43  bending downwards from the retention section  41 . The deflectable cantilevered beam  42  is accessible from the second surface  111  of the second mating portion B. The cantilevered beams  42  are designated as USB 2.0 contacting sections. 
     The grounding member  7  defines a board-shaped main section  70  and a leg section  71  bending from a rear edge of the main section  70 . The grounding member  7  is retained in tongue portion  11  with the main section  70  received in the receiving slot  14  and disposed between the first and second mating portions A, B, and the leg section  71  extends out of the housing  1 . The main section  70  is sandwiched by the third and fourth surfaces  114 ,  115 . The side edges of main section  70  expose on the corresponding side faces  112 , and the front edge of the main section  70  is hidden in the receiving slot  14  without any portion extending beyond the front face  113 . The main section  70  is disposed between the contacting portion  32  and the deflectable cantilevered beam  42  and spaced from both the contacting portion  32  and the deflectable cantilevered beam  42 , which can reduce the cross-talk between the eSATA contact set  3  and the USB contact set  4 , and further to provide an electrical connector  100  having low cross-talk. 
     The detecting pairs  5  is retained to the sidewall  13  and includes a contacting pin  51  and a movable pin  52 . The movable pin  52  defines a projecting portion  521  projecting into the mating cavity  10  and a contacting portion  522  disposed at a free end of the projecting portion and further extending into the sidewall  13 . The contacting pin  51  defines an abutting portion  512  facing to the contacting portion  522 . The contacting portion  522  may move to contact the abutting portion  512  when the projecting portion  521  is driven by the USB plug inserted into the mating cavity  10 . The shell  2  surrounds the housing  1  and defines an elastic piece  22  stamped from a top piece  21  and entering into the mating cavity  10  to latch the complementary connectors. The top piece  21  and a bottom piece  20  opposite to the top piece  21  each further defines an abutting piece  23  projecting forwards to contact with peripheral equipment. The leg sections  33 ,  43  and  71  run through a retaining member  6  to connect with the printed circuit board. 
     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.