Electrical connector having detection means

Claim 2

An electrical connector, comprising: an insulating housing including a mating body and a plurality of passageways defined in the mating body; a plurality of conductive contacts received in said plurality of passageways; and detection means received in the mating body for detecting engagement of an external mating connector, said detection means including at least one contact leg for engagement with a conductive contact of a mating electrical connector, said at least one contact leg including a first contact leg for coupling to an external circuit and a second contact leg for grounding while engaging an conductive contact of a mating electrical connector.

Claim 3

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second contact legs are so configured that said second contact leg engages with a mating conductive contact before said first contact leg engages with another mating conductive contact while a mating electrical connector being inserted into said electrical connector.

Claim 4

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising conductive shielding means conforming to a lateral surface of said mating body for prevention of electromagnetic interference.

Claim 5

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulating plate configured to provide on said insulating housing and at a rear side of said mating body and a metal bracket for supporting said insulating housing and said insulating plate, said insulating plate including a plurality of vertical apertures for extending therethrough of a rear portion of said conductive contacts bent 90 degrees relative to a front portion thereof, said metal bracket defining a central opening for passing through of said mating body.

Claim 6

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein said insulating housing further comprises a pair of insulating blocks extending rearward from both ends of said rear side of the mating body for securing said insulating housing and a metal bracket together.

Claim 7

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein said insulating housing includes a mating surface and said mating body extends forward from the mating surface.

Claim 8

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection means comprises a main plate and said first and second contact legs extend from said main plate.

Claim 9

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection means is integrally formed by stamping and bending.

Claim 10

A detection means for an electrical connector, comprising: a main plate for inserting into a slot of a housing of the electric connector; first contact leg extending rearward from an edge of said main plate for engaging a conductive contact, and a second contact leg extending rearward from another edge of said main plate for engaging a conductive contact, wherein each of said first and second contact legs comprises an outward convex portion.

Claim 11

A detection means for an electrical connector, comprising: a main plate for inserting into a slot of a housing of the electric connector; first contact leg extending rearward from an edge of said main plate for engaging a conductive contact, and a second contact leg extending rearward from another edge of said main plate for engaging a conductive contact, wherein each of said first and second contact legs comprises an outward convex portion.

Claim 12

The detection means for the electrical connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first contact leg extend from a central portion of a front edge of said main plate and second contact legs extends from a central portion of a rear edge of said main plate opposite to said central portion of said front edge to form a V-shaped resilient structure.

Claim 13

The detection means for the electrical connector as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said first and second contact legs comprises a V-shaped end portion having an end stopper.

Claim 14

The detection means for the electrical connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first and second contact legs are different in length.

Claim 15

The detection means for the electrical connector as claimed in claim 11, further comprising positioning means for positioning in a housing of the electrical connector.

Claim 16

The detection means for the electrical connector as claimed in claim 13, wherein said positioning means comprises a plurality of barbs on both lateral edges of said main plate.

Claim 17

The detection means for the electrical connector as claimed in claim 13, wherein said positioning means comprises a plurality of embossments on surfaces of said main plate.

Claim 18

The detection means for the electrical connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein said detection means is integrally formed by stamping and bending.

Claim 19

An arrangement of detection means in an insulating housing for an electrical connector, said housing comprising a plurality of passageways and a slot near at least one of said passageways and communicating with said at least one passageway; at least one conductive contact received in said at least one passageway; detection means including a main plate received in said slot and a first contact leg extending rearward from an edge of said main plate into an interior of said slot, said first contact leg having an outward convex portion bulging into said at least one passageway for engaging an external mating conductive contact inserted into said at least one passageway and a V-shaped end portion successively extending from the convex portion and having and end stopper abutting against a shoulder formed-on an inner wall of said slot.

Claim 20

An arrangement of detection means in an insulating housing for an electrical connector, said housing comprising a plurality of passageways and a slot near at least one of said passageways and communicating with said at least one passageway; at least one conductive contact received in said at least one passageway; detection means including a main plate received in said slot and a first contact leg extending rearward from an edge of said main plate into an interior of said slot, said first contact leg having an outward convex portion bulging into said at least one passageway for engaging an external mating conductive contact inserted into said at least one passageway and a V-shaped end portion successively extending from the convex portion and having and end stopper abutting against a shoulder formed-on an inner wall of said slot.

Claim 21

An electrical connector, comprising: an insulating housing including a mating body and a plurality of passageways defined in the mating body; a plurality of conductive contacts received in said plurality of passageways; and detection means received in the mating body for detecting engagement of an external mating connector, said detection means including a main plate, a first contact leg extending from said main plate for coupling to a circuit on a mother board of a computer, and a second contact leg for grounding when said connector is mounted is mounted to said mother board and for engagement with a conductive contact of an external mating connector while engaging a mating conductive contact of a mating connector.

Claim 22

An electrical connector, comprising: an insulating housing including a mating body and a plurality of passageways defined in the mating body; a plurality of conductive contacts received in said plurality of passageways; and detection means received in the mating body for detecting engagement of an external mating connector, said detection means including a main plate, a first contact leg extending from said main plate for coupling to a circuit on a mother board of a computer, and a second contact leg for grounding when said connector is mounted is mounted to said mother board and for engagement with a conductive contact of an external mating connector while engaging a mating conductive contact of a mating connector.

Claim 23

An arrangement of detection means in an insulating housing for an electrical connector, said housing comprising a plurality of passageways and a slot near a pair of said passageways and communicating with said pair of passageways; at least one conductive contact received in said pair of passageways; detection means including a main plate received in said slot, a first contact leg extending rearward from an edge of said main plate into an interior of said slot, and a second contact leg extending rearward from a second edge of said main plate into the interior of said slot, said first contact leg having an outward convex portion bulging into said at least one passageway for engaging an external mating conductive contact inserted into said at least one passageway and a V-shaped end portion successively extending from the convex portion and having and end stopper abutting against a shoulder formed on an inner wall of said slot, said second contact leg having an outward convex portion bulging into said at least one passageway for engaging an external mating conductive contact inserted into the other of said pair of passageways and a V-shaped end portion successively extending from the convex portion and having and end stopper abutting against a shoulder formed on an inner wall of said slot.

Claim 24

An arrangement of detection means in an insulating housing for an electrical connector, said housing comprising a plurality of passageways and a slot near a pair of said passageways and communicating with said pair of passageways; at least one conductive contact received in said pair of passageways; detection means including a main plate received in said slot, a first contact leg extending rearward from an edge of said main plate into an interior of said slot, and a second contact leg extending rearward from a second edge of said main plate into the interior of said slot, said first contact leg having an outward convex portion bulging into said at least one passageway for engaging an external mating conductive contact inserted into said at least one passageway and a V-shaped end portion successively extending from the convex portion and having and end stopper abutting against a shoulder formed on an inner wall of said slot, said second contact leg having an outward convex portion bulging into said at least one passageway for engaging an external mating conductive contact inserted into the other of said pair of passageways and a V-shaped end portion successively extending from the convex portion and having and end stopper abutting against a shoulder formed on an inner wall of said slot.

Claim 25

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 18, wherein said detection means comprises positioning means for positioning in a slot defined in said mating body.

Claim 26

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 20, wherein said positioning means comprises a plurality of barbs on both lateral edges of said main plate in interference fit with inner walls of said slot.

Claim 27

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 20, wherein said positioning means comprises a plurality of embossments on surfaces of said main plate in interference fit with inner walls of said slot.

Claim 28

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 22, wherein slot is defined between and communicates with a pair of aligned lower and upper passageways for receiving the first and second contact legs of said detection means to form a cross opening and said first and second contact legs comprise a convex portions, respectively, bulging into the pair of lower and upper passageways for engaging conductive contacts of a mating connector.

Claim 29

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 23, wherein said first and second contact legs further comprise an end stopper abutting against a lower and an upper shoulder formed on inner walls of said receiving slot, respectively.

Claim 30

The arrangement of detection means in the insulating housing for the electrical connector as claimed in claim 19, wherein said first and second contact legs are so configured that one of said first and second contact legs engages with a mating conductive contact before the other while a pair of mating conductive contacts being inserted into said pair of passageways.

Claim 31

The arrangement of detection means in the insulating housing for the electrical connector as claimed in claim 19, wherein said first contact leg extends from a front edge of said main plate and second contact legs extends from a rear edge of said main plate.

Claim 32

The arrangement of detection means in the insulating housing for the electrical connector as claimed in claim 26, wherein said first contact leg extends from a central portion of said front edge and said second contact leg extends from a central portion of said rear edge opposite to said central portion of said front edge to form a V-shaped resilient structure and said slot is formed between said pair of passageways to form a cross opening on the front surface of the mating body.

Claim 33

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising conductive shielding means conforming to a lateral surface of said mating body for prevention of electromagnetic interference; an insulating plate configured to provide on said insulating housing and at a rear side of said mating body, said insulating plate including a plurality of vertical apertures for extending therethrough of a rear portion of said conductive contacts bent 90 degrees relative to a front portion thereof; a metal bracket for supporting said insulating housing and said insulating plate, said metal bracket defining a central opening for passing through of said mating body; and a pair of insulating blocks extending rearward from both ends of said rear side of the mating body for securing said insulating housing and said metal bracket together.

Claim 34

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection means is provided for coupling to an electrical circuit of an electrical apparatus.

Claim 35

The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detection means is provided for coupling to an electrical circuit on a mother board of a computer.