# US 9,882,324 B2 · Electrical connector assembly having identical matable connectors

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- Number: US 9,882,324 B2
- Document ID: US9882324B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/091,907
- Filed: 2016-04-06
- Published: 2016-10-13
- Granted: 2018-01-30
- Earliest claimed: 2015-04-07
- Assignees: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
- Inventors: Ming Shi; Xiang Xu; Xiaozhi Fu; Yuquan Chen; Yong Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882324B2

## CPC

- H01R 24/84: Hermaphroditic coupling devices
- H01R 4/4821: {Single-blade spring}
- H01R 4/4833: {Sliding arrangements, e.g. sliding button}
- H01R 13/28: Contacts for sliding cooperation with identically-shaped contact, e.g. for hermaphroditic coupling devices {(H01R24/84 takes precedence)}
- H01R 13/6272: {comprising a single latching arm}
- H01R 24/28: Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS

## Abstract

An electrical connector is disclosed. The electrical connector has an insulation body formed with a receiving slot and a terminal disposed in the receiving slot. The electrical connector is matable with an identical electrical connector.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
a first electrical connector having
an insulation body formed with a receiving slot, the insulation body having a front body, including a first front body and a second front body opposite to each other in a vertical direction, and a rear body, the receiving slot having a first front receiving slot formed in the first front body and a second front receiving slot formed in the second front body, and
a terminal disposed in the receiving slot, the terminal having
a fixing portion in the rear body,
a first elastic arm extending from the fixing portion to the receiving slot, the first elastic arm including a first electrical contact portion formed at an end of the first elastic arm, and
a second elastic arm extending rearwardly from the fixing portion, an end of the second elastic arm arranged to face an inner wall of the receiving slot and pressing a conductor of an external wire against the inner wall of the receiving slot to form an electrical connection with the conductor, a platform portion formed on one side of the end of the second elastic arm lower than a surface of the end; and
a second electrical connector identical to the first electrical connector and matable with the first electrical connector, the first front body of the first electrical connector matable with a second front receiving slot of the second electrical connector and a first front body of the second electrical connector matable with the second front receiving slot of the first electrical connector.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the first electrical contact portion of the first electrical connector electrically contacts a first electrical contact portion of the second electrical connector when the first and second electrical connectors are in a mating position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 2, wherein an elastic arm is formed on a bottom surface of the insulation body away from the first front body, one end of the elastic arm formed with a hook and extending beyond a front end surface of the insulation body.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 3, wherein a protrusion is formed on a top surface of the insulation body.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 4, wherein, in a mating position of the first and second electrical connectors, the hook of the first electrical connector engages a protrusion of the second electrical connector, and a hook of the second electrical connector engages the protrusion of the first electrical connector.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 5, wherein a connection portion connects a middle of the elastic arm to the bottom surface of the insulation body.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 6, wherein the elastic arm is pivotable about the connection portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 7, wherein a tail is formed at the end of the elastic arm opposite the hook, and an elastic press piece is formed on the bottom surface of the insulation body and adapted to be pressed onto the tail to disengage the hook from the protrusion.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulation body has an insertion hole communicating with the receiving slot.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 9, wherein a push piece is slidably mounted in the insertion hole.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 10, wherein the push piece contacts and deforms the platform portion to facilitate an insertion or draw of the conductor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the push piece has a tab.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 12, wherein the push piece is slidable between a position in which the tab abuts a first stop wall of a recess in the insertion hole, and a position in which the push piece abuts a second stop wall of the receiving slot.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 13, wherein the push piece has a base positioned outside of the insertion hole and a bar portion positioned in the insertion hole, the tab formed on a side surface of the bar portion.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 14, wherein a protrusion is formed on an inner wall of the first front body.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 15, wherein, in a mating position of the first and second electrical connectors, the end of the first electrical contact portion of the first electrical connector is interference-fit with the protrusion of the second electrical connector, and an end of a first electrical contact portion of the second electrical connector is interference-fit with the protrusion of the first electrical connector.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 16, wherein an elastic protrusion is formed on the fixing portion of the terminal adapted to be snap-fit into a groove of the inner wall of the insulation body.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 17, wherein stop portions protruding outwardly on either side of the fixing portion abut stop surfaces on the inner wall of the insulation body.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein a dovetail protrusion is formed on one side surface of the insulation body and a dovetail recess is formed on an opposite side surface of the insulation body.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 19, wherein the dovetail protrusion of the first electrical connector is matable with a dovetail recess of the second electrical connector.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 20, wherein the dovetail recess has a stop wall formed at one end and an elastic tab formed on a bottom surface of an opposite end.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 21, wherein the dovetail protrusion of the first electrical connector is held between the stop wall and the elastic tab.

### Claim 23

An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
a first electrical connector having
an insulation body formed with a receiving slot, the insulation body having
a front body including a first front body and a second front body opposite to each other in a vertical direction, the receiving slot having a first front receiving slot formed in the first front body and a second front receiving slot formed in the second front body,
a rear body,
an elastic arm formed on a bottom surface of the insulation body away from the first front body, one end of the elastic arm formed with a hook and extending beyond a front end surface of the insulation body, a tail formed at the end of the elastic arm opposite the hook,
a connection portion connecting a middle of the elastic arm to the bottom surface of the insulation body, the elastic arm pivotable about the connection portion,
an elastic press piece formed on the bottom surface of the insulation body, and
a protrusion formed on a top surface of the insulation body, and
a terminal disposed in the receiving slot, the terminal having a fixing portion in the rear body and a first elastic arm extending from the fixing portion to the receiving slot, the first elastic arm including a first electrical contact portion formed at an end of the first elastic arm; and
a second electrical connector identical to the first electrical connector and matable with the first electrical connector in a mating position, in the mating position
the first front body of the first electrical connector mates with a second front receiving slot of the second electrical connector and a first front body of the second electrical connector mates with the second front receiving slot of the first electrical connector,
the first electrical contact portion of the first electrical connector electrically contacts a first electrical contact portion of the second electrical connector, and
the hook of the first electrical connector engages a protrusion of the second electrical connector, and a hook of the second electrical connector engages the protrusion of the first electrical connector, the elastic press piece adapted to be pressed onto the tail to disengage the hook from the protrusion.

### Claim 24

An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
a first electrical connector having
an insulation body formed with a receiving slot, the insulation body having
a front body including a first front body and a second front body opposite to each other in a vertical direction, the receiving slot having a first front receiving slot formed in the first front body and a second front receiving slot formed in the second front body,
a rear body,
a dovetail protrusion formed on one side surface of the insulation body, and
a dovetail recess formed on an opposite side surface of the insulation body, the dovetail recess having a stop wall formed at one end and an elastic tab formed on a bottom surface of an opposite end, and
a terminal disposed in the receiving slot, the terminal having a fixing portion in the rear body and a first elastic arm extending from the fixing portion to the receiving slot, the first elastic arm including a first electrical contact portion formed at an end of the first elastic arm; and
a second electrical connector identical to the first electrical connector and matable with the first electrical connector, the first front body of the first electrical connector matable with a second front receiving slot of the second electrical connector and a first front body of the second electrical connector matable with the second front receiving slot of the first electrical connector, the dovetail protrusion of the first electrical connector matable with a dovetail recess of the second electrical connector.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The electrical connector assembly of claim 24, wherein the dovetail protrusion of the first electrical connector is held between the stop wall and the elastic tab.