Electrical connector with improved contacts

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a housing member and a number of contacts attached to the housing member. The contacts include a number of first contacts and second contacts arranged side by side along a transverse direction, respectively. Each of the first and second contacts include a main portion, a contact portion and a bending portion extending from a lateral edge of the main portion. The bending portion has a narrow width in order to occupy small space of a rear wall of the housing member so that the rear wall of the housing member still has adequate area for mounting other components.

We claim: 
     
       1. An electrical connector, comprising:
 a housing member; 
 a plurality of contacts attached to the housing member, the contacts comprising a plurality of first contacts arranged side by side along a transverse direction, and a plurality of second contacts arranged side by side along the transverse direction as well, each first contact comprising a first main portion, a first contact portion and a first bending portion extending from a lateral edge of the first main portion, the first bending portion being substantially perpendicular to the first main portion; each second contact comprising a second main portion, a second contact portion and a second bending portion extending from a lateral edge of the second main portion, the second bending portion being substantially perpendicular to the second main portion and being parallel to the first bending portion, the first and the second contact portions being located at a same side of the housing member, wherein each of the second bending portion comprises a first width viewed from a left-to-right direction parallel to the transverse direction, and a second width viewed from a rear-to-front direction perpendicular to the transverse direction in condition that the second width is narrower than the first width, wherein 
 the electrical connector further comprises a metal shield enclosing the housing member to form a receiving space to which the first and the second contact portions exposed, the housing member defining a through hole communicating with the receiving space to receive a fiber optic device. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first contact portions are elastic and the second contact portions are stiff, the second contact portions being positioned at the front of the first contact portions along the rear-to-front direction. 
     
     
       3. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second main portions are mainly located in horizontal planes, and the first and the second bending portions are mainly located in vertical planes. 
     
     
       4. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the first contacts comprise a contractive first soldering portion extending downwardly from the first bending portion, and each of the second contacts comprise a contractive second soldering portion extending downwardly from the second bending portion, wherein the first and the second soldering portions are parallel to each other. 
     
     
       5. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the housing member defines a plurality of slits to position the first and the second bending portions, each first bending portion is aligned with the corresponding second bending portion along the rear-to-front direction so that they can be positioned in the same slit. 
     
     
       6. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic device comprises a block received in the through hole, the block comprising a guiding post protruding into the receiving space. 
     
     
       7. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the housing member comprises a first insulative housing and a second insulative housing received in the first insulative housing. 
     
     
       8. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first insulative housing comprises a base portion and tongue plate extending forwardly from the base portion, the tongue plate defining a receiving opening to receive the second insulative housing. 
     
     
       9. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the base portion defines a receiving cavity extending therethrough, the receiving cavity communicating with the receiving opening to wholly receive the second insulative housing. 
     
     
       10. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the tongue plate comprises at least one projection protruding into the receiving opening, the second insulative housing defining an opening on a front end thereof to receive the projection. 
     
     
       11. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first and the second insulative housings both define a plurality of first and second slits to corporately receive the first and the second bending portions. 
     
     
       12. An electrical connector, comprising:
 a housing member; 
 a plurality of contacts attached to the housing member, the contacts comprising a plurality of first contacts and a plurality of second contacts, each first contact comprising a first main portion, a first contact portion and a first bending portion, the first main portion being located in a horizontal plane and comprising opposite lateral edges, the first bending portion extending from one lateral edge of the first main portion and the first bending portion being substantially perpendicular to the first main portion; each second contact comprising a second main portion, a second contact portion and a second bending portion, the second main portion being located in another horizontal plane and comprising opposite lateral edges, the second bending portion extending from one lateral edge of the second main portion and the second bending portion being substantially perpendicular to the second main portion; wherein each first bending portion is aligned with the corresponding second bending portion along a rear-to-front direction, wherein 
 the electrical connector further comprising a metal shield enclosing the housing member to form a receiving space to which the first and the second contact portions exposed, the housing member defining a through hole communicating with the receiving space to receive a fiber optic device. 
 
     
     
       13. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the housing member comprises a first insulative housing and a second insulative housing received in the first insulative housing, the first insulative housing comprising a base portion and tongue plate extending forwardly from the base portion, the tongue plate defining a receiving opening to receive the second insulative housing. 
     
     
       14. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein all the second bending portions are arranged in a row perpendicular to the rear-to-front direction, two enlarged spaces being formed between the adjacent two second bending portions on lateral sides in the row with respect to a narrow space between the rest adjacent two second bending portions which are located between the two enlarged spaces. 
     
     
       15. An electrical connector comprising:
 a first insulative housing having a base with front face and rear face; a tongue portion extending forwardly from the front face of the base, the tongue portion having a receiving opening with a bottom and a receiving base defining a plurality of depressions, the depressions and the opening defined on a same side of the tongue portion;   a second insulative housing disposed within the receiving opening of the tongue portion and having a first surface and an opposite second surface;   a plurality of first contacts, each first contact having a first main portion, a first contact portion disposed on the first surface of the second insulative housing and a first tail portion extending beyond the base; and   a plurality of second contacts, each second contact having a second main portion, a second contact portion and a second tail portion extending beyond the base, the second main portion disposed on the second surface of the second insulative housing and located between the second insulative housing and the tongue portion, the second contact portions disposed within the depressions of the receiving base to be exposed.   
     
     
       16. The electrical connector as recited in claim 15, wherein the first contact portion is different to the second contact portion which is a blade-type contact. 
     
     
       17. The electrical connector as recited in claim 15, wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion are offset from each other. 
     
     
       18. The electrical connector as recited in claim 17, wherein the first contact portion and the second main portions are located at different levels. 
     
     
       19. An electrical connector comprising:
 a housing member having a first insulative housing and a second insulative housing, which are separated and engage with each other; and   a plurality of contacts attached to the housing member, the contacts comprising a plurality of first contacts arranged side by side along a transverse direction, each first contact comprising a first main portion and a first contact portion; and a plurality of second contacts arranged side by side along the transverse direction, each second contact comprising a second main portion and a second contact portion; wherein   the first and the second contact portions are exposed on a same side of the housing member along a longitudinal direction of the housing member that is perpendicular to the transverse direction and are arranged in two different rows along the transverse direction, respectively, the rows being offset from one another in the longitudinal direction; the first main portion of the first contacts are mounted to the second insulative housing, and at least one of the second main portion and the second contact portion of the second contact is attached to the first insulative housing.   
     
     
       20. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 19, wherein one of the first and the second insulative housing comprises a base and a tongue plate extending from the base and defining a receiving opening to receive the other insulative housing. 
     
     
       21. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first contact portion of the first contact are elastic and the second contact portion of the second contact are stiff, and the first main portion and the second main portion are located in two different and parallel planes vertical to the longitudinal direction, respectively. 
     
     
       22. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second main portion of the second contact are sandwiched by the first and the second insulative housings. 
     
     
       23. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second main portions of the second contacts are mounted to the second insulative housing, and the second contacting portion are received in depressions defined on the first insulative housing. 
     
     
       24. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 19, further comprises a metal shield enclosing the housing member to form a receiving space, both the side of the housing member disposed the first and the second contact portions and an opposite side of the housing member are exposed to the receiving space, both the first contacts and the second contacts are assembled to the housing member. 
     
     
       25. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first contact portion of the first contact are exposed on a surface of the second insulative housing, and the second contact portions of the second contact are positioned by the first insulative housing. 
     
     
       26. An electrical connector comprising:
 a metallic shell defining a mating port forwardly communicating with an exterior along a front-to-back direction for receiving a mating connector therein;   a first housing unit defining a tongue plate horizontally extending in the mating port and defining opposite first and second horizontal surfaces thereon in a vertical direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction;   a receiving opening formed in the second horizontal surface;   a plurality of depressions formed in the second horizontal surface communicatively in front of the receiving opening;   a second housing unit having a portion which is snugly received in the receiving opening;   a plurality of still contacts each including a front flat contacting section received in the corresponding depression and exposed to the mating port in the vertical direction, a middle main section sandwiched between the second housing unit and the tongue plate in the vertical direction, and a rear tail section for mounting; and   a plurality of deflectable contacts each including a front deflectable resilient curved contacting section, and either the first housing unit or the second housing unit defining a plurality of passageways exposed to the mating port in the vertical direction around the second horizontal surface, the curved contacting section deflectable in the corresponding passageway in the vertical direction, a middle section and a rear tail section for mounting; wherein   the front flat contacting sections are located in front of the deflectable resilient curved contacting section.   
     
     
       27. The electrical receptacle connector as claimed in claim 26, wherein the deflectable contacts are retained to the second housing unit. 
     
     
       28. The electrical receptacle connector as claimed in claim 27, wherein the still contacts are retained to the second housing unit. 
     
     
       29. The electrical receptacle connector as claimed in claim 26, wherein the first housing unit and the second housing unit are configured to allow the second housing unit to be forwardly assembled to the first housing unit in the front-to-back direction. 
     
     
       30. The electrical receptacle connector as claimed in claim 26, wherein the first housing unit defines a base portion for mounting to the printed circuit board. 
     
     
       31. The electrical receptacle connector as claimed in claim 26, wherein the metallic shell is assembled to only the first housing unit. 
     
     
       32. The electrical receptacle connector as claimed in claim 26, wherein both of the first and the second horizontal surfaces of the first housing unit are exposed in the mating port.