Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a connector assembly, and more particularly to a connector assembly used for power transmission. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     POGO-type (spring-type or pressure) contacts are widely used for chargeable batteries. Such contact as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,312, usually comprises a pin assembled with a spring, a sleeve receiving the pin and the spring, and a mounting portion exposed outside the sleeve for electrically connecting with a printed circuit board. With development of technology, different structures of such type contact are designed to meet different requirements. U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,626 discloses a compression contact having a U-shape mounting portion having tabs pressing against the spring and a bottom portion for surface-mounting to a printed circuit board (PCB) perpendicular to the extending direction of the contact. However, using such type of mounting portion increases the length or dimension along mating direction of the connector which is not glad to be seen by customers or users under today&#39;s compact design trend. Thus, it is desired to design a new type POGO (spring-type or pressure) contact to address the problems mentioned above. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly with improved solder tails for achieving more reliable connection between contacts and a printed circuit board. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a connector assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing defining a mating port, a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing, a circuit board located on a rear side of the housing and comprising a front surface facing to the rear side of the housing and an opposite rear surface, a plurality of solder tails located behind the rear surface of the circuit board and electrically connecting the contacts with the printed circuit board. 
     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 exploded, perspective view of a connector assembly in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from a different aspect; 
         FIGS. 3-6  are partially assembled views of the connector assembly of the connector assembly in accordance with the first embodiment; 
         FIGS. 7-8  are assembled, perspective views of the connector assembly in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, but viewed from different aspects; and 
         FIG. 9  is a partially assembled view of the connector assembly in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a connector assembly  100  in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention comprises an insulative housing  2 , a plurality of conductive contacts  3  assembled to the housing  2 , a circuit board  4  assembled to the housing  2 , a plurality of conductive elements  8  respectively electrically connecting with the contacts  3  and the circuit board  4 , a strain relief member  5  assembled to and electrically connecting with the circuit board  4 , a cable (not shown) electrically connecting with the strain relief member  5  and the circuit board  4  to achieve the electrical connection with the conductive contacts  3 , front and rear covers  1 ,  7  respectively assembled to the housing  2  and together enclosing the elements mentioned above therebetween. 
     Now turning to  FIGS. 1-2 , the housing  2  is made from insulative material. The housing  2  defines two pairs of large-size first receiving passages  23  and a center small-size second receiving passage  24  respectively recessed from a front face thereof to a rear face thereof. Particularly, the right side surface is curved for forming a whole toothbrush design of the connector assembly  100 . 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the conductive contacts  3  consist of a pair of ground contacts  32 , a pair of power contacts  31  located between the pair of ground contacts  32  and a center detect contact  33  located between the pair of power contacts  31 . Each contact  3  is of a POGO Pin type (spring-type pin pressure pin), that is to say, there is a spring (not shown) inside the contact  3 , thus, when mating, front contacting portion  37  of the contact  3  can be pressed to rearward move along the mating direction. Each ground contact  32  comprises the column-shape contacting portion  37  with a relatively small diameter and capable of being compressed, a column-shape media portion  35  with a relatively large diameter, and an end portion  36  formed at rear end of the media portion  35  with a column-shape and larger diameter. The power contact  31  has the same structure as that of the ground contact  32  except the contacting portion  37  thereof has a length shorter than that of the ground contact  32 . Thus, the ground contacts  32  will firstly mate with a complementary connector and lastly disengage from the complementary connector for assuring safe power and signal transmission. The detect contact  33  has the same structure as that of the power contact  31  except each portion thereof has a smaller diameter than that of the power contact  31 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2  and  4 , the conductive elements  8 , or the solder tails, consist of five pieces and each is Z-shape. Each conductive element  8  comprises a first connecting section  81 , a second connecting section  82  parallel to the first connecting section  81 , and a horizontal media section  83  interconnecting the first and second connecting sections  81 ,  82 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the circuit board  4  is mainly located in a vertical plane and has a certain thickness along a front-to-back direction, that is, the mating direction. The circuit board  4  comprises a substrate  40  having a front surface and an opposite rear surface, also having a left end and a right end. A plurality of passageways  41  penetrating from the front surface to the rear surface of the substrate  40  with diameters corresponding the those of the media portions  35  of the contacts  3 . The passageways  41  are arranged in one line along transverse direction perpendicular to the mating direction. A plurality of through holes  42  are defined in the substrate  40  and around the right end of the substrate  40 . Each through hole  42  is plated with conductive material for electrically soldering with conductors of the cable (not shown). A pair of LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) is formed on the front surface and the rear surface and located adjacent to the left end of the substrate  40 . The circuit board  4  may be equipped with an IC  44  for driving the LEDs  43  to emit light. 
     The strain relief member  5  is stamped from metal material or other conductive material. The strain relief member  5  comprises a strain relief section  52  for grasping with metal braiding layer of the cable (not shown) and a pair of arms  51  extending horizontally from upper and lower locations of the strain relief section  52  and parallel to each other. Each arm  51  located in the horizontal plane and comprises an inclined section  511  connecting with the strain relief section  52 , a flat section  512 , and a tail section  510  formed at free end of the flat section  512 . The tail section  510  is of U-shape and comprises a pair of side sections bending from the flat section to form the U-shape for electrically connecting with the circuit board  4 . 
     The cable comprises a plurality of wires each comprising an inner conductor, a metal braiding layer surrounding the inner conductor, and an outer jacket enclosing the metal braiding layer. A front portion of the outer jacket is stripped to expose part of the inner conductor and the metal braiding layer. 
     The front and rear covers  1 ,  7  are respectively assembled to the housing  2 . The front cover  1  is made from conductive material and capable of being attracted by the complementary connector. The front cover  1  comprises a body portion  12  and a front rectangular flange  10  with certain thickness and formed with front edge of the body portion  12 . The flange  10  defines an elliptical-shape front receiving cavity  101  recessed rearwardly from a front surface thereof for receiving complementary connector. The body portion  12  defines a rectangular rear receiving passage  120  recessed forwardly from a rear surface thereof to communicate with the front receiving cavity  101  for receiving the housing  2 . The receiving passage  120  has a large size along a lateral direction of the front cover  1  than that of the receiving cavity  101 , thus, forming a step surface  16 . 
     The rear cover  7  is made from resin material and of toothbrush shape. The rear cover  7  comprises a substantially rectangular main body  70  and a pipe-shape existing portion  72  extending vertically from the main body  70 . The main body  70  defines a receiving space  700  recessed rearwardly from front surface thereof, while, the existing portion  72  defines a circular existing channel  720  communicating with the receiving space  700  for existing the cable therefrom. Particularly, the rear cover  7  defines a window area  73  with irregular shape. A light pipe  71  is firstly molded and shaped corresponding to the configuration of the left end of the circuit board  4  and the pair of LEDs  43 , then the rear cover  7  is molded over the light pipe  71  to expose the light pipe  71  in the window area  73 . Thus, the rear cover  7  and the light pipe  71  are formed as a unitary one. The light emitted from the pair of LEDs  43  spreads from the inner mold  6  to the light pipe  71 , and finally can be seen from outside. 
     The inner mold  6  is made from transparent or semitransparent material and the light emitted from the LEDs  43  is capable of being spread out through the inner mold  6  to outside. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-8  in conjunction with  FIGS. 1-2 , in assembly, the conductive contacts  3  firstly pass through the passageways  41  of the circuit board  4  from rear-to-front direction until the end portions  36  abutting against the rear surface of the circuit board  4 . Each Z-shape solder tail  8  is respectively soldered with corresponding contact  3  and trace formed on the rear surface of the circuit board  4 . The first and second connecting sections  81 ,  82  are respectively soldered to the end portion  36  and the trace of the circuit board  4 , while, the media section  83  attaches to side surface of the end portion  36 . The contacts  3  then are assembled to the insulative housing  2  with the media portions  35  interferentially received in the first and second receiving passages  23 ,  24  of the housing  2 , while, the contacting portions  37  exposed beyond the front surface of the insulative housing  2 . The housing  2  with the contacts  3  and the circuit board  4  is assembled to the front cover  1  with the housing  2  received in the receiving passage  120  of the body portion  12  and the contacting portions  37  of the contacts  3  are exposed in the receiving cavity  101 . 
     Then the inner mold  6  is molded to the connection area between the contacts  3  and the circuit board  4 , the solder tails  8 , and rear portion of the insulative housing  2 . Since the material of the inner mold  6  is transparent or semitransparent, the light emitted from the LEDs  43  of the circuit board  4  can be spread out from the left corner of the inner mold  6 . The conductors of the cable (not shown) are soldered to the through holes  42  of the circuit board  4  to form electrical connection with the circuit board  4 , further with the contacts  3 . The strain relief member  5  is assembled to the circuit board  4  and the cable. The pair of U-shape tail sections  510  are respectively soldered to traces arranged on front and rear surface of the circuit board  4  adjacent to the through holes  42  of the circuit board  4 . The front end of the cable is sandwiched between the pair of arms  51  and compressed by the inclined sections  511  and grasped by the strain relief section  52 . Particularly, the front end of the cable is partially stripped to expose the inner metal braiding layer which is grasped by the strain relief section  52  of the strain relief member  5  to form electrical connection with the circuit board  4 . 
     Finally, the rear cover  7  and the light pipe  71  are assembled to the assembly achieved above to enclose the all elements except for the flange  10  of the front cover  1 . Thus, the toothbrush configuration of the connector assembly  100  is achieved. After the assembly, the front portion of the cable is received in the pipe-shape existing portion  72  of the rear cover  7  and other portion exists from the rear end of the existing portion  72 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 9 , a second embodiment of the solder tails  8 ′ is shown. The solder tail  8 ′ is of Ω-shape and comprises a pair of second connecting sections  82 ′ soldered with the traces of the circuit board  4 , the first connecting section  81 ′ soldered with the end portions  36  of the contacts  3 , and a pair of media sections  83 ′ respectively connecting the opposite ends of the second connecting section  82 ′ with the pair of first connecting sections  81 ′. 
     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.

Technology Category: h