Patent Publication Number: US-2015072559-A1

Title: Electrical connector featured with additional contacts for radio frequency signal transmission

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particular to an electrical connector having additional contacts for RF (Radio Frequency) signal transmission. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Taiwan Pat. No. 1287324 issued on Sep. 21, 2007 discloses an electrical connector assembly including a first connector and a second connector mating with each other. The first and second connectors each defines two different interfaces arranged side by side and spaced from each other along a longitudinal direction, which makes different connector interfaces combo in one connector for expediently using. However, the two different interfaces in each connector are conventional types and are simply arranged in a side by side manner along the longitudinal direction, which may increase the length of the first and second connectors and is not benefit for miniaturization. 
     Therefore, a new design is required. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector featured with additional contacts in a normal interface for miniaturization. 
     In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector assembly includes a first connector and a second connector mating with each other in a mating direction, the first connector includes a mating tongue and a plurality of first contacts exposed upon the mating tongue, the second connector includes a mating cavity for receiving the mating tongue therein and a plurality of second contacts for mating with the first contacts. The mating tongue defines an upper long mating face, a lower long mating face opposite to the upper long mating face and extending along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the mating direction, and a side mating face extending along a vertical direction perpendicular to both the mating direction and the longitudinal direction to connect the upper and lower long mating faces at a longitudinal end thereof. The mating cavity defines a longitudinal upper inner long face for mating with the upper long mating face, a lower inner long face for mating with the lower long mating face, and an inner side face connecting with the upper and lower inner long faces. The mating tongue retains a first inner contact exposed upon the side mating face and a first outer contact surrounding the first inner contact, the mating cavity retains a second inner contact exposed upon the inner side face for mating with the first inner contact and a second outer contact for mating with the first outer contact, and when the first and second connectors mate in the mating direction, the first and second inner contacts connect with each other to be disposed in a shielding frame defined by the first and second outer contacts. 
     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 a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly including a first connector and a second connector mated with each other in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the first connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial exploded perspective view of the first connector shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the second connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial exploded perspective view of the second connector shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial exploded perspective view showing first and second inner contacts and corresponding first and second outer contacts; and 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe a preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the electrical connector assembly includes a first connector  100  and a second connector  200  mating with each other in a mating direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the first connector  100  includes a longitudinal first base portion  10 , a mating tongue  20  extending forwardly from the base portion  10  along the mating direction, and a first metal shell  30  enclosing the mating tongue  20 . The mating tongue  20  defines lower and upper long mating faces  201 ,  201   a  opposite to each other and extending along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the mating direction, and a pair of side mating faces  202  extending along a vertical direction perpendicular to both the mating direction and longitudinal direction and each connecting the two long mating faces  201 ,  201   a  at a longitudinal end thereof. A plurality of first contacts  41  are exposed upon the two long mating faces  201 ,  201   a , a pair of first outer contacts  43  are respectively retained at two longitudinal ends of the mating tongue  20 , and a pair of first inner contacts  42  each exposes upon one of side mating faces  202 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the second connector  200  defines a longitudinal second base portion  50  and a mating cavity  602  recessed from a front face  601  of a mating portion  60 . The mating cavity  602  is surrounded by two opposite longitudinal inner long faces and a pair of inner side faces  604 , the two opposite longitudinal inner long faces are defined as an upper inner long face  603   a  and a lower inner long face  603 . A plurality of second contacts  81  are retained in the upper and lower inner long faces  603   a ,  603 , a pair of second inner contacts  82  are respectively retained in the two inner side faces  604 . A pair of second outer contacts  83  are retained in the mating portion  60  at two longitudinal ends thereof and exposed at two edges of the second contacts  81 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 6 , each first inner contact  42  defines a retaining portion  421 , a stiff contacting portion  422  extending from the retaining portion  421  and exposed upon the side mating face  202 , and a soldering portion  423  extending out of the first base portion  10 . Each first outer contact  43  defines a first connecting portion  431 , two bending portions  432  bending toward the side mating face  202  respectively from upper and lower edges of the first connecting portion  431 , a first soldering tail  433  downwardly extending from the lower edge of the first connecting portion  431 , and a second soldering tail  434  extending outwardly from the bending portion  432  of the upper edge of the first connecting portion  431  and then downwardly extending to parallel with the first soldering tail  433 . Each first outer contact  43  is retained at a longitudinal end of the mating tongue  20  with the bending portion  432  extending from the upper edge of the first connecting portion  431  exposed upon the upper long mating face  201   a  and with the bending portion  432  extending from the lower edge of the first connecting portion  431  exposed upon the lower long mating face  201 . The soldering portion  423  of the first inner contact  42  is disposed between the first and second soldering tails  433 ,  434  of the first outer contact  43 . The plurality of first contacts  41  are divided into a set of first signal contacts  413  and a set of first power contacts  414 , each first signal contact  413  provides a first touching portion  411  exposed upon the upper long mating face  201   a  and a soldering leg  412 , and each first power contact  414  provides a second touching portion  411   a  exposed upon the lower long mating face  201  and a soldering leg  412 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , each second inner contact  82  defines a fixing portion  821  retained in the mating portion  60 , a resilient contacting arm  822  extending from a front side of the fixing portion  821  and passing through the inner side faces  604  to project into the mating cavity  602 , and a soldering leg  823  extending out of the second base portion  50 . Each second outer contact  83  defines a second connecting portion  831  retained to the mating portion  60 , and two contacting sections  832  respectively bending from upper and lower edges of the second connecting portion  831  and exposed upon upper and lower inner long faces  603   a ,  603 . The second connecting portion  831  and the contacting sections  832  partial extend out of the second base portion  50  to be defined as a soldering section  833 . The plurality of second contacts  81  are divided into a set of second signal contacts  813  and a set of second power contacts  814 , each second signal contact  813  provides a first touching section  811  exposed upon the upper inner long face  603   a , and each second power contact  814  provides a second touching section  811   a  exposed upon the lower inner long face  603 , the plurality of second contacts  81  each provides a connecting section  812  extending out of the second base portion  50 . 
     The first metal shell  30  encloses the mating tongue  20  to define a receiving cavity  301  for receiving the mating portion  60  of the second connector  200  therein. The first metal shell  30  defines a blocking portion  302  split from a front edge thereof to project toward the mating tongue  20 , and the mating portion  60  defines a corresponding slot  605  for fitting with the blocking portion  302 . The mating portion  60  includes an extending portion  70  enclosed with a second metal shell  80  and a pair of latching arms  90  disposed at two sides of the extending portion  70  with latching portions  91  exposed out of the mating portion  60  for latching with locking windows  303  of the first metal shell, the second metal shell  80  defines elastic latching portion  801  for latching with the first metal shell  30 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , when the first and second connectors  100 ,  200  mate with each other in the mating direction, the blocking portion  302  is received in the slot  605  to guide the mating portion  60  entering into the receiving cavity  301 , and the mating tongue  20  enters into the mating cavity  602  to make the first contacts  41  connect with the second contacts  81 . The two contacting sections  832  of one second outer contact  83  each contacts with a corresponding bending portion  432  of a first outer contact  43  to form a closed shielding frame, synchronously, the stiff contacting portion  422  of the first inner contact  42  and the resilient contacting arm  822  of the second inner contact  82  dispose in the closed shielding frame to electrically connect with each other for RF (Radio Frequency) signal transmission. A shielding plate  834  provided at each second outer contact  83  is disposed opposite to the second connecting portion  831  to improve the shielding function of the closed shielding frame. Each bending portion  432  of the first outer contact  43  defines two rib portions  435  aligned with each other in the mating direction for contacting with the contacting section  832  of the second outer contact  83 . 
     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.