# US 11,309,648 B1 · Connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,648 B1 - Document ID: US11309648B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/134,609 - Filed: 2020-12-28 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-10 - Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute - Applicants: Industrial Technology Research Institute - Inventors: Tien-Fu Huang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309648B1 ## CPC - H01R 4/027: {comprising means for positioning or holding the parts to be soldered or welded} - H01R 12/725: {containing contact members presenting a contact carrying strip, e.g. edge-like strip} - H01R 12/7052: {characterised by the locating members} - H01R 13/514: composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them - H01R 13/516: Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing {, hoods} - H01R 13/631: for engagement only - H01R 12/57: surface mounting terminals - H01R 12/73: connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures - H01R 13/405: Securing in non-demountable manner, e.g. moulding, riveting - H01R 43/0256: {for soldering or welding connectors to a printed circuit board} - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract A connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity includes a housing and terminal assemblies. The housing has sockets and a coplanar track. The coplanar track is defined by two inner flanges of the housing. The two flanges extend longitudinally and parallel to each other. Each terminal assembly includes a connector body, terminals and a guider. The connector body is disposed inside the housing by the sockets. The terminals are disposed by penetrating through the connector body. The guider is disposed close to soldering ends of the terminals. The soldering end of each terminal protrudes out of the guider. The guider has two opposite grooves. Each groove is engaged with the corresponding flange. The coplanar track has a coplanar datum surface. Soldering portions of the soldering ends of the terminals protruding out of the guider are separated from the coplanar datum surface by the same distance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity, comprising: a housing, having thereinside a plurality of sockets and a coplanar track disposed at a bottom thereof, the coplanar track being defined by two flanges disposed individually inside to two opposite lateral sides of the housing, each of the two flanges being longitudinally extended in a longitudinal direction and parallel to each other; and a plurality of terminal assemblies, each of the plurality of terminal assemblies including: a connector body, disposed by the plurality of sockets; a plurality of terminals, disposed by penetrating through the connector body; and a guider, disposed close to soldering ends of the plurality of terminals, the soldering end of each of the plurality of terminals protruding out of the guider, the guider having two opposite sides, each of the two opposite sides being furnished with a groove; wherein, when the guider is disposed at the coplanar track, each of the two grooves of the guider is engaged with the corresponding flange; wherein the coplanar track has a coplanar datum surface disposed on a bottom surface of the coplanar track; wherein soldering portions of the soldering ends of the plurality of terminals protruding out of the guider are separated from the coplanar datum surface by the same distance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal direction of the soldering portion is parallel to a horizontal surface, and distances of the soldering portions to the coplanar datum surface of the flange are the same. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity of claim 1, wherein the two flanges are symmetrically disposed to two opposite inner sides of the housing, and each of two opposite sides of the guider is furnished with the groove. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity of claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminals are made of a conductive metal material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity of claim 1, wherein the housing, the connector body and the guider are made of a plastic insulation material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity of claim 1, wherein each of the two flanges extending in the longitudinal direction has oppositely a bottom surface and a top surface, the bottom surface is a plane, the bottom surface is the coplanar datum surface, and the soldering ends of the terminals of the terminal assemblies disposed below the bottom surface keep the same distance from the bottom surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity of claim 6, wherein the top surface extends in the longitudinal direction in a stepwise manner, the flange extending in the longitudinal direction has oppositely a first end and a second end, and thickness of the flange is increasing from the first end to the second end. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity of claim 7, wherein the flange, from the first end to the second end, is stepwise structured to have a plurality of thicknesses, the guiders of the corresponding terminal assemblies have different heights, and each of the heights of the corresponding grooves is fitted with one of the thicknesses of the flange. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The connector structure with improved terminal coplanarity of claim 8, wherein each of the thicknesses presents a tight fit with the groove of the corresponding guider of the respective terminal assembly.