# US 12,224,528 B2 · Connector and connector assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,224,528 B2 - Document ID: US12224528B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/696,219 - Filed: 2022-03-16 - Published: 2022-09-22 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-19 - Assignees: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. - Inventors: Jianxiong Li; Yuchen Yang; Reicky Zhang; Haomai Yin; Xionghui Zheng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224528B2 ## CPC - H01R 13/6456: {comprising keying elements at different positions along the periphery of the connector} - H01R 13/502: composed of different pieces (H01R13/514 takes precedence) - H01R 4/70: Insulation of connections (end caps H01R4/22) - H01R 13/6581: Shield structure - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract The present invention discloses a connector and a connector assembly. The connector has an outer housing and an inner housing detachably mounted in the outer housing for holding a terminal in the outer housing. The connector is adapted to be mounted on corresponding electrical equipment and mate with a corresponding mating connector. A first mating feature adapted to mate with the corresponding electrical equipment and a second mating feature adapted to mate with the corresponding mating connector are formed on the inner housing. In the present invention, when it is necessary to change the identification feature on the connector, only the inner housing or a part of the inner housing of the connector needs to be replaced without replacing the whole outer housing. Therefore, the cost is low and the use is very convenient. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A connector, comprising: an outer housing; and an inner housing detachably mounted in the outer housing for holding a terminal in the outer housing, wherein the connector is adapted to be mounted on a corresponding electrical equipment and mate with a corresponding mating connector, wherein a first mating feature adapted to mate with the corresponding electrical equipment and a second mating feature adapted to mate with the corresponding mating connector are formed on the inner housing, wherein the inner housing includes a first end protruding out of the outer housing and a second end inserted into the outer housing, the first mating feature is formed on an outer surface of the first end of the inner housing, and the second mating feature is formed on an outer surface of the second end of the inner housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first mating feature includes at least one first mating protrusion adapted to mate with at least one first mating groove formed on the corresponding electrical equipment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first mating feature includes at least one first mating groove adapted to mate with at least one first mating protrusion formed on the corresponding electrical equipment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the second mating feature includes at least one second mating groove adapted to mate with at least one second mating protrusion formed on the corresponding mating connector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the second mating feature includes at least one second mating protrusion adapted to mate with at least one second mating groove formed on the corresponding mating connector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the outer housing has a horizontal insertion port at one end and a vertical insertion port at the bottom of the other end, the mating connector is adapted to be horizontally inserted into the outer housing through the horizontal insertion port, and the inner housing is adapted to be vertically inserted into the outer housing through the vertical insertion port. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a terminal provided in the outer housing; and an insulator formed on a part of the terminal to electrically isolated the terminal from the outer housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The connector according to claim 7, wherein the inner housing includes a first half housing and a second half housing detachably assembled together, and the first half housing and the second half housing hold the terminal in the outer housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The connector according to claim 7, wherein a first blocking structure is formed on the inner wall of the outer housing, and a second blocking structure adapted to mate with the first blocking structure is formed on the terminal, so as to prevent the terminal from being pulled out of the outer housing. ### Claim 10 A connector, comprising: an outer housing; and an inner housing detachably mounted in the outer housing for holding a terminal in the outer housing, wherein the connector is adapted to be mounted on a corresponding electrical equipment and mate with a corresponding mating connector, wherein a first mating feature adapted to mate with the corresponding electrical equipment and a second mating feature adapted to mate with the corresponding mating connector are formed on the inner housing, wherein the connector comprises a plurality of connectors, at least one of the shape, size, number and position of the first mating features on the plurality of connectors is different, and at least one of the shape, size, number and position of the second mating features on the plurality of connectors is also different. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The connector according to claim 10, wherein except for the first mating feature and the second mating feature, other features of the plurality of connectors are all identical. ### Claim 12 A connector, comprising: an outer housing; and an inner housing detachably mounted in the outer housing for holding a terminal in the outer housing, wherein the connector is adapted to be mounted on a corresponding electrical equipment and mate with a corresponding mating connector, wherein a first mating feature adapted to mate with the corresponding electrical equipment and a second mating feature adapted to mate with the corresponding mating connector are formed on the inner housing, wherein the inner housing includes a first half housing and a second half housing detachably assembled together, the first mating feature and the second mating feature are both formed on the first half housing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The connector according to claim 12, wherein the connector comprises a plurality of connectors, except for the first half housing, other parts of the plurality of connectors are all identical and interchangeable. ### Claim 14 A connector assembly, comprising: a connector; and a mating connector mated with the connector, wherein the connector, comprising: an outer housing; and an inner housing detachably mounted in the outer housing for holding a terminal in the outer housing, wherein the connector is adapted to be mounted on a corresponding electrical equipment, a first mating feature adapted to mate with the corresponding electrical equipment and a second mating feature adapted to mate with the corresponding mating connector are formed on the inner housing, wherein the mating connector is provided with a mating feature mated with the second mating feature of the connector, wherein the first mating feature includes at least one first mating groove adapted to mate with at least one first mating protrusion formed on the corresponding electrical equipment.