Patent Publication Number: US-9899759-B2

Title: Power connector

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an power connector, and more particularly to a power connector mounting onto a printed circuit board. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Power connectors used in electronic devices, such as routers and switches, carry high currents to a printed circuit boards housed within the device. Generally, more efficient contacting area and enhanced thermal properties for the power contacts are two typical problems when designing a power connector carrying high current. 
     Hence, there is a need to provide an improved power connector. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure discloses a power connector for electrically connecting with a complementary connector. The power connector comprises an insulating housing defining a plurality of channels and a plurality of pairs of power contacts received in corresponding channels. Each pair of power contacts comprises a pair of oppositely arranged two power contacts. Each power contact is provided with a retaining portion fixed within the channel, a contacting portion extending from one end of the retaining portion and a tail portion extending from the other end of the retaining portion. The contacting portion is formed with a first contacting finger and a second contacting finger which are side-by-side positioned. The first contacting finger defines a first contacting area and the second contacting finger defines a second contacting area. The first and the second contacting areas are extending within a same plane. 
     The present disclosure also discloses a power connector comprising an insulating housing defining a plurality of channels extending therethrough, and a plurality of power contacts housed within the insulating housing. Each power contact comprises a contacting portion, a retaining portion for secured to the insulating housing, and a tail portion extending perpendicularly to the contacting portion. The plurality of power contacts are arranged in pairs, each pair of power contacts retained in one corresponding channel and having corresponding contacting portions confronting to each other. Each contacting portion is provided with a first contacting area and a second contacting area. The first contacting area and the second contacting area arranged along a front-to-back direction. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the described embodiments. In the drawings, reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout various views, and all the views are schematic. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a power connector of a first embodiment in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of the power connector as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an insulating housing as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the insulating housing as shown in  FIG. 3  while taken from a different aspect; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a pair of power contacts as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the power contacts as shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a subassembly of signal contacts and a spacer as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the power connector of a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded, perspective view of the power connector of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the insulating housing of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a pair of power contacts of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the pair of power contacts of  FIG. 11  of another embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the power connector of a third embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  is an exploded, perspective view of the power connector of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the insulating housing of  FIG. 14 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the insulating housing of  FIG. 15  while taken from another aspect; and 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the pair of power contacts of  FIG. 14 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail. In the following description, the same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements in different drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 7 , an illustrated first embodiment of the present invention discloses an power connector  100 . The power connector  100  is employed to mounted onto a printed circuit board (not shown) and engages with a complementary connector (not shown). The power connector  100  includes an insulating housing  10 , a plurality of pairs of power contacts  20  and pairs of signal contacts  30  received in said insulating housing  10 , and a spacer  40  for positioning the pairs of signal contacts  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4  together with  FIG. 2 , the insulating housing  10  comprises a mating section  11 , a mounting section  12  and a plurality of channels  13  extending through the mating section  11  and the mounting section  12 . A mating face  111  is provided at a front end of the mating section  11 . A mounting face  121  is provided at a rear end of the mounting section  12  which is opposite to the mating face  111 . The channels  13  extend from the mating face  111  to the mounting face  121 . The channels  13  includes a plurality of first channels  131  for receiving the pairs of power contacts  20  and a plurality of second channels  132  for receiving the pair of signal contacts  30 . The configurations of the first and the second channels  131 ,  132  are different from each other due to different configurations of the power contact  20  and the signal contact  30 . 
     The mating section  11  defines a mating space  112  in the front thereof for receiving the complementary connector. The mating space  112  communicates with the channels  13 . Each channel  13  is formed by two opposite inner sidewalls  16  and defines two side recesses  14  in a rear end of the two inner sidewall  16 , respectively. The inner sidewall  16  is also performed as a separating wall separating two neighbored channels  13 . A row of blocks  15  are provided on the mounting section  12 , each of which defines two slits  151  at opposite sides thereof. Similarly, each separating wall  16  can be deem as having two side recesses  14  formed therewith. A plurality of protrusions  161  are provided on the mounting section  12 . From a back view, the block  15 , the protrusion  161  and the separating wall  16  are positioned in a line. The mounting section  12  have a pair of posts  122  extending downwards therefrom for mounting onto the printed circuit board. 
     Together referring to  FIGS. 3 to 6 , each pair of power contacts  20  includes two oppositely arranged power contacts  21 . Each power contact  21  comprises a retaining portion  212  fixed within the first channel  131 , a contacting portion  211  extending from one end of the retaining portion  212  and a tail portion  213  from the other end of the retaining portion  212 . Two opposite edges of the retaining portion  212  are formed with a side protrusion  2121  and barbs  2122 . The side protrusion  2121  is close to the tail portion  213  and the bards  2122  are close to the contacting portion  211 . In one pair of power contacts  20 , the barbs  2122  are fixed within the side recesses  14  with the side protrusion  2121  of one power contact  21  retained in the slit  151  and the side protrusion  2121  of the other power contact  21  retained between the two separating walls  161 . Therefore, the pair of power contacts  20  are firmly received in the first channels  131 , but also an undesired displacement of the power contacts  20  is prohibited. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the contacting portion  211  is formed with a plurality of first contacting fingers  2111  and a plurality of second contacting fingers  2112 . The first and the second contacting fingers  2111 ,  2112  are arranged side by side. The first contacting fingers  2111  define a first contacting area  2113  and the second contacting fingers  2112  define a second contacting area  2114 . The first contacting area  2113  and the second contacting area  2114  are staggered from each other along a front-to-back direction. The first contacting area  2113  extends within a first plane and the second contacting area  2114  extends within a second plane. As can be understood, the first plane and the second plane can be the same plane in this preferred embodiment. 
     The second contacting finger  2112  comprises a forwards projecting portion  2115 , a backwards projecting portion  2117  and a curved portion  2116  connecting the forwards projecting portion  2115  and the backwards projecting portion  2117 . The second contacting area  2114  is formed on the backwards projecting portion  2117 . The first contacting finger  2111  extends substantially in a V-shape. The backwards projecting portion  2117  of the second contacting finger  2112  extends substantially in a V-shape. The employment of the first contacting area  2113  and the second contacting area  2114  makes a larger contacting area when the current passes through the power contact  21 . There is a slit formed between the first contacting finger  2111  and the backwards projecting portion  2117  to avoid interference therebetween. A width of the first contacting area  2113  of the first contacting finger  2111  is reduced along a front-to-back direction. A width of the second area  2114  of the second contacting finger  2112  is reduced along a back-to-front direction. Understandably, if there is a need in other embodiments, the widths of the first and the second contacting areas can be designed to be equal to each other. 
     Turn to  FIG. 7  together with  FIGS. 3 and 4 , each pair of signal contacts  30  includes two opposite positioned signal contacts  31 . Each signal contact  31  comprises an inserting portion  312 , an engaging portion  311  projecting from one end of the inserting portion  312  and a distal end  313  projecting from the other end of the inserting portion  312 . The inserting portion  312  provides a barb  3121  and an embossment  3122  along two opposite side edges thereof. The barb  3121  is close to the engaging portion  311  and interfered respectively within the side recess  14 . The embossment  3122  is close to the distal end  313  and retained respectively in the slit  151 . The distal end  313  is received and fixed in the spacer  40 . In this preferred embodiment, the distal ends  313  are arranged into four rows. The spacer  40  defines a plurality of slots  41  for inserting therethrough the distal ends  313  and two wedge blocks  42  at opposite sides thereof. The mounting section  12  defines an opening  123  for receiving the spacer  40 . There are grooves  124  defined in inside faces of the opening  123  for correspondingly retaining therein the wedge blocks  42 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8-11 , the second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The power connector  100 ′ has a similar structure with the power connector  100  of the first embodiment. The main difference is in the power contact  21 ′. 
     In this embodiment, the both the first contacting finger  2111 ′ and the two second contacting fingers  2112 ′ extend as a V-shape. The length of the first contacting finger  2111 ′ is shorter than that of the second contacting finger  2112 ′. A front end face  2115 ′ of the first contacting finger  2111 ′ is located behind the second contacting area  2114 ′. The front end of the second contacting finger  2112 ′ extends transversely. The width of a front end face  2116 ′ of the second contacting finger  2112 ′ is same to the width of the contacting portion  211 ′. In other words, the second contacting finger  2112  is formed in a T-shape with a pair of first contacting fingers  2111 ′ positioned at opposite sides thereof. The second contacting finger  2112 ′ defines a pair of cutouts  2118  along opposite side edges thereof, which are close to the retaining portion  212 ′ and work for heat-dissipation. Compared to the power contact  21 ′ in  FIG. 11  in accordance with the second embodiment, in  FIG. 12 , a plurality of grooves  2119  are defined in the front edge of the second contacting finger  2112 ′ of the power contact  21 ″ for heat-dissipation purpose. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 13-17 , the third embodiment of the present invention of the power connector  100 ′″ is illustrated. The main differences are in the structure of the power contacts  21 ′″ and the insulating housing  10 ′. The length of the first contacting finger  2111 ′″ is shorter than the length of the second contacting finger  2112 ′″. A front end face  2115 ′″ of the first contacting finger  2111 ′″ is located behind a front end face  2116 ′″ of the second contacting finger  2112 ′″. A slit  2117 ′ is formed between the first and the second contacting fingers  2111 ′″,  2112 ′″. A plurality of middle protrusions  17  are formed in each of the first channel  131 ′ for isolating the first contacting fingers  2111 ′″ and the second contacting fingers  2112 ′″. 
     The contacting portion of the electrical power connector of the present invention is divided into first contacting fingers and the second contacting fingers with the first contacting area being therefore formed on the first contacting fingers and the second contacting area being formed on the second contacting fingers. The two staggered arranged contacting areas provide a relatively larger contacting area when the current passes through the power contact, which reduce the heat generated from the contact resistance. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of preferred and exemplary embodiments have been set out in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changes may be made in detail within the principles of present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broadest general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.