Electrical connector and combination of an electronic device and the electrical connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9450336-B2
Application number	US-201514792131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2015
Priority date	Sep 3, 2014
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A combination includes an electronic device and an electrical connector. The electronic device includes a device housing with a mating area, and a device terminal set formed in the mating area. The electrical connector includes a connector casing with a mating region, a connector terminal set to mate with the device terminal set, and an auxiliary unit with an abutment part covering a part of the mating region of the connector casing. When the mating region of the electrical connector mates with the mating area of the electronic device, the abutment part of the auxiliary unit abuts against the device housing such that the electrical connector is stabilized and prevented from moving relative to the electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector, comprising:
a connector casing having a mating region, a plate-like casing body, and a mating protrusion that protrudes from said casing body, said casing body having a first plate surface on which said mating region is provided, a second plate surface opposite to said first plate surface, and opposite first and second side edges which are parallel with the first direction and each of which is connected between said first and second plate surfaces, said mating protrusion protruding from said first plate surface and being proximate to said first side edge and distal to said second side edge;
a connector terminal set protruding from said mating region of said connector casing;
a pair of spaced-apart interlocking structures protruding from said mating region of said connector casing, said connector terminal set being disposed between said interlocking structures, said connector terminal set and said interlocking structures being arranged along a first direction and being disposed on said mating protrusion; and
an auxiliary unit disposed on said connector casing and including an abutment part that is made of a resilient material and that covers at least a part of said mating region in proximity to said connector terminal set and said interlocking structures, said abutment part covering said first plate surface and abutting with said mating protrusion.

2. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said mating protrusion of said connector casing has first and second engagement sides that are parallel with the first direction, said first engagement side being proximate to said first side edge of said casing body, said mating protrusion thickening from said first engagement side toward said second engagement side, said mating protrusion further having a recess that is formed in said second engagement side and that extends parallel with the first direction, said abutment part of said auxiliary unit covering a part of said mating protrusion which has said second engagement side and a part of said first plate surface which is adjacent to said second engagement side.

3. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said auxiliary unit is a sleeve ring made of the resilient material and further includes a connection part that is connected to said abutment part to form said sleeve ring and that extends over said second plate surface, said abutment part having a strap portion and a cover portion that are connected to each other, said strap portion covering said part of said first plate surface which is adjacent to said mating protrusion, said cover portion being complementary in shape to and covering said part of said mating protrusion which has said second engagement side.

4. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said connector casing further has a projection that projects from said second plate surface of said casing body, said connection part of said auxiliary unit having a through hole that is aligned to said projection and that engages to said projection.

5. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said casing body further has two opposite third side edges, each of said third side edges having two opposite ends that are respectively connected to said first and second side edges, and a gap that extends along a length thereof, said auxiliary unit further having two opposite ribs that protrude respectively from two opposite junctions of said abutment part and said connection part and that respectively engage said gaps of said third side edges.

6. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said auxiliary unit is a sleeve ring that is sleeved around said connector casing.

7. A combination comprising:
an electronic device including
a device housing that has a mating area and two spaced-apart interlocking grooves formed in said mating area, and
a device terminal set that is disposed in said mating rear and that is situated between said interlocking grooves; and

an electrical connector including
a connector casing having a mating region to match with said mating area of said device housing, a plate-like casing body, and a mating protrusion that protrudes from said casing body, said casing body having a first plate surface on which said mating region of said connector casing is provided, a second plate surface opposite to said first plate surface, and first and second side edges which are parallel with the first direction and each of which is connected between said first and second plate surfaces, said mating protrusion protruding from said first plate surface and being proximate to said first side edge and distal to said second side edge,
a connector terminal set protruding from said mating region of said connector casing to mate with said device terminal set,
a pair of spaced-apart interlocking structures protruding from said mating region of said connector casing, said connector terminal set being disposed between said interlocking structures, said connector terminal set and said interlocking structures being arranged along a first direction and being disposed on said mating protrusion, said interlocking structures being respectively engageable with said interlocking grooves,
an auxiliary unit disposed on said connector casing and including an abutment part that covers at least a part of said mating region of said connector casing in proximity to said connector terminal set and said interlocking structures, said abutment part covering said first plate surface and abutting with said mating protrusion,

wherein said mating area of said device housing has a planar portion and a concaved portion that complementarily receives said mating protrusion; and
wherein, when said mating region of said electrical connector mates with said mating area of said electronic device, said abutment part of said auxiliary unit abuts against said planar portion such that said electrical connector is stabilized and prevented from moving relative to said electronic device.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said mating protrusion of said connector casing has first and second engagement sides that are parallel with the first direction, said first engagement side being proximate to said first side edge of said casing body, said mating protrusion thickening from said first engagement side toward said second engagement side, said mating protrusion further having a recess that is formed in said second engagement side and that extends parallel with the first direction, said abutment part of said auxiliary unit covering a part of said mating protrusion which has said second engagement side and a part of said first plate surface which is adjacent to said second engagement side, said mating area of said device housing further having a flange that projects from said planar portion to said concaved portion, said flange engaging said recess of said mating protrusion.

9. The combination as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said auxiliary unit is a sleeve ring made of the resilient material and further includes a connection part that is connected to said abutment part to form said sleeve ring and that extends over said second plate surface, said abutment part having a strap portion and a cover portion that are connected to each other, said strap portion covering said part of said first plate surface which is adjacent to said mating protrusion, said cover portion being complementary in shape to and covering said part of said mating protrusion which has said second engagement side.

10. The electronic assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said connector casing further has a projection that projects from said second plate surface of said casing

Assignees

• Wistron Corp
• Wistron Crop

Inventors

• Wu hui-wen

Classifications

• H01R13/639 Primary

  Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, {e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap} · CPC title