Electrical connector with enhanced structure

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector with simple production process and enhanced structure.

2. Description of Related Art

A patent issued No. M 316520 in Taiwan discloses an electrical connector. The electrical connector comprises a first insulative housing, a second insulative housing and a plurality of conductive terminals. The first insulative housing includes a base portion and a mating portion both extending along the first direction. The first insulative housing defines a plurality of terminal slots arranged at an interval from each other. The second insulative housing is inserted and retained in the first insulative housing. The second insulative housing defines a plurality of terminal grooves arranged at an interval from each other. The terminal grooves are defined correspondingly to the terminal slots, and the terminal grooves are running through the terminal slots along the second direction. The conductive terminals are accommodated respectively in the terminal slots and the terminal grooves. The technology described aforementioned needs two modules.

Although the technology can make the mating frame not easy to distortion and avoid the wall between the terminal slots/grooves rupture, but the processing of the production is complicated.

In view of the foregoing, an electrical connector with simple production process and enhanced structure would be desirable.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having simple production process and enhanced structure.

In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector defines a mating direction and a lengthwise direction perpendicular to the mating direction. The electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a plurality of first conductive terminals retained in the insulative housing. The insulative housing includes a first side wall, a second side wall opposite to the first side wall and two end walls connecting with the first side wall with the second side wall. The first side wall defining a plurality of first terminal passageways arranged in an inner surface thereof along the lengthwise direction and extending in the mating direction. Every adjacent first terminal passageways being partitioned with spaced walls and the spaced walls and the inner surface of the first side wall being on a same plane, The first conductive terminals accommodated in the first terminal passageways. Some of the spaced walls further integrally extend enhanced walls respectively to unitarily connect with the second side wall, thereby defining a base portion located at a rear portion of the insulative housing and a mating cavity in front of the base portion.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a 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 an insulative housing as shown in FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a left part of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1 ; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a left part of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1 .

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , The present invention provides an electrical connector 100 defining a mating direction M and a lengthwise direction T which is perpendicular to the mating direction. The electrical connector 100 comprises an insulative housing 1 and a plurality of first and second conductive terminals 21 , 22 . The insulative housing 1 defines a first side wall 11 , a second side wall 12 which is opposite to the first side wall 11 and two end walls 19 between the first side wall 11 and the second side wall 12 and connect with them. Each of the two end walls is perpendicular to the first side wall 11 and the second side wall 12 . The inner surface of the first wall 11 defines a plurality of first terminal passageways 111 arranged spaced apart from each other along the lengthwise direction. The first terminal passageways 111 extends along the mating direction. The inner surface of the second side wall 12 defines a plurality of second terminal passageways 121 arranged spaced apart from each other along the lengthwise direction. The second terminal passageways 121 extends along the mating direction. The first conductive terminals 21 are accommodated in the first terminal passageways 111 . The second conductive terminals 22 are accommodated in the second terminal passageways 121 .

The electrical connector 100 further includes a metal shell 3 surrounding the insulative housing 1 and a pair of locking members 4 retained on the two opposite side of the insulative housing and used for mating with the complementary connector. The two end portions 19 of the insulative housing 1 each defines a retaining slot 17 for accommodation of the locking members 4 . The two end sides of the first side wall 11 each defines a protruding portion 113 extending outwardly in the longwise direction. The protruding portion 113 extending in the mating direction are spaced from or behind a front side of the first side wall 11 . The upper surface of the protruding portion 113 and the upper surface of the first side wall 11 are in a same plane. The thickness of the protruding portions 113 in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the longwise direction is gradually decreasing in a back to front direction. The protruding portions 113 are used for preventing an insertion of a non-complementary connector.

The structure of the conductive terminals 21 , 22 and the insulative housing 1 are introduced in detail hereinafter. Referring to FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 , the first side wall 11 recessed with the first passageways 111 is separated from the second side wall 12 recessed with the second passageways 121 . Every two of the first passageways or second passageways is partitioned with a spaced wall 112 / 122 . The spaced walls 112 and the inner surface of the first side wall 11 /second side wall 12 are on the same plane. Some of the spaced walls labeled with numeral 112 a further form enhanced walls 14 as best shown in FIG. 4 , extending upwards. The enhanced walls 14 connect with the spaced walls 112 a , 122 a of the first side wall 11 and the second side wall 12 , thereby a base portion 15 of the housing 1 is formed and located in the rear portion of the housing. The insulative housing 1 defines a mating cavity 13 in front of the base portion 15 . The front face of the base portion 15 , the first and second side wall 11 , 12 , and the two end walls 19 commonly defines a mating cavity 13 thereamong. The mating cavity 13 runs through the front face of the insulative housing 1 . In the best embodiment, the spaced walls 112 a of the first side wall 11 and the spaced walls 122 a of the second side wall 122 are aligned with each other. The enhanced wall 14 connect with corresponding spaced walls 112 a , 122 a . The enhanced walls 14 benefit to increase the strength of the insulative housing 1 so that the electrical connector 100 is not easy to be damaged in the process of the assembling and using.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , The enhanced walls 14 extend along the mating direction and are aligned with the base portion at rear faces thereof. Each of the enhanced walls 14 includes a flat portion 141 and two end portions 142 . The flat portions 141 have a same thickness and wider than the end portions 142 along the lengthwise direction. The length of the flat portions 141 are longer than the length of the end portions 141 along a vertical direction which is perpendicular to the mating direction and the lengthwise direction. The length of the end portions 142 is shorter than the spaced walls 14 which are adjacent to them. In the lengthwise direction, all enhanced walls 14 are unitarily connected with a long rib 16 . The rib 16 is spaced away from the spaced walls 112 , 122 . In the mating direction, the rib 16 and the enhanced walls 14 have a same front plane. The length of the base portion 15 is longer than the depth of the mating cavity 13 .

Besides, each of the first conductive terminals 21 includes a retaining portion 212 , a contacting portion 211 bending from one end of the retaining portion 212 and a connecting portion 213 bending from another end of the retaining portion 212 . The retaining portion 212 defines a plurality of convex ribs 2121 retained in the first terminal passageways 111 . The second conductive terminals 22 have the same structure with the first conductive terminals 21 . A group of three first terminals 21 form a pair of differential signal terminals and a grounding terminal. Every group of terminals is disposed between every two adjacent enhanced walls 14 . In the lengthwise direction, the spaced walls 112 between the two groups of terminals are wider than the spaced walls 112 / 122 between the first conductive terminals 21 . In the best embodiment, the groups of terminals in the first and the second side walls are opposite to each other.

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 illustrated 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.