WO2013092221A1

WO2013092221A1 - Usb port

Info

Publication number: WO2013092221A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/074550
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marc Reinhardt; Frank Flittner
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics Amp Gmbh
Priority date: 2011-12-19
Filing date: 2012-12-05
Publication date: 2013-06-27
Also published as: DE102011089025A1; DE102011089025B4

Abstract

A USB socket (10) comprises a contact carrier (200) and a contact pin (100). The contact pin (100) has a soldering face (103) which is arranged at a longitudinal end of the contact pin (100). The soldering face (103) of the contact pin (100) is cast in the contact carrier (200) in such a manner that the soldering face (103) is accessible at a surface (201) of the contact carrier (200).

Description

USB PORT

The invention relates to a USB socket according to patent claim 1 and a method for producing a USB socket according to patent claim 13.

USB plug type connector systems having USB connectors and USB sockets are known from the prior art. USB plug type connectors are used to produce USB connections by means of which a serial data transmission can be carried out at a high data rate. USB plug type connectors are used, for example, in computers, computer peripheral devices, portable music playing devices and mobile telephones.

USB plug type connectors are known in a variety of standardised configurations. There are, for example, USB plug type connectors of the types A, B, Mini-B and Micro-B. These kinds of plug type connector differ in terms of the dimensions of the connectors and sockets.

Since USB plug type connectors are produced and assembled in large batch numbers, it is desirable to be able to produce USB connectors and USB sockets in a cost-effective manner.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved USB socket. This object is achieved by a USB socket having the features of claim 1 . An object of the present invention is further to set out an improved method for producing a USB socket. This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 13. Preferred developments are set out in the dependent claims.

A USB socket according to the invention comprises a contact carrier and a contact pin. The contact pin has a soldering face which is arranged at a longitudinal end of the contact pin. The soldering face of the contact pin is cast in the contact carrier in such a manner that the soldering face is accessible at a surface of the contact carrier.

Advantageously, the contact pin is then fixed to the contact carrier of the USB socket, which facilitates the assembly of the USB socket.

In a preferred embodiment of the USB socket, the soldering face terminates in alignment with the surface of the contact carrier. Advantageously, there is thereby produced a flat and even surface of the contact carrier which enables automatic soldering of a wire to the soldering face of the contact pin. Advantageously in this instance, wires of different thickness and in particular wires of a large diameter can also be used. In an advantageous embodiment, the soldering face of the contact pin has a recess. Advantageously, the recess provides additional mechanical retention for tin-solder which is arranged on the soldering face. A solder connection with increased tensile strength can thereby be produced on the soldering face.

It is advantageous for a wire of a cable to be soldered to the soldering face. Advantageously, there is then a robust electrically conductive connection between the wire of the cable and the contact pin.

In a development of the USB socket, it has a contact housing, the contact carrier being arranged in a contact carrier receiving region of the contact housing. Advantageously, the contact housing can be used to electrically insulate the contact pin with respect to other components of the USB socket.

In a preferred embodiment of the USB socket, the contact carrier has a guiding rib which is arranged in a guiding channel of the contact housing. In this instance, the guiding rib and the guiding channel are constructed in such a manner that the contact carrier can be arranged only in a fixed orientation in the contact carrier receiving region of the contact housing. Advantageously, the guiding rib and the guiding channel then bring about a polarisation, by means of which incorrect assembly of the USB socket is prevented. Owing to the guiding rib and the guiding channel, it is ensured that the contact carrier can be arranged only in the correct orientation in the contact carrier receiving region of the contact housing, whilst, for example, an arrangement of the contact carrier in the contact carrier receiving region rotated through 180^Q is prevented by the arrangement of the guiding rib and guiding channel.

It is also preferable for the contact carrier to have a catch projection which is engaged on a catch edge of the contact housing. Advantageously, unintentional separation of the contact carrier from the contact housing is then prevented. Another advantage is that the engagement of the catch projection and the catch edge can be produced in a simple and automated manner.

In a development of the USB socket, the contact housing and the contact carrier are arranged in a shield housing. Advantageously, the shield housing prevents emission of electromagnetic interference signals from the USB socket into an environment of the USB socket. Another advantage of the shield housing is that the shield housing prevents irradiation by interference signals from the environment of the USB socket into the interior of the USB socket.

It is advantageous for the shield housing to be crimped with the cable. Advantageously, the shield housing can then be conductively connected to a shield of the cable. Furthermore, the crimping between the shield housing and the cable advantageously brings about a first tensile relief for the cable.

In a development of the USB socket, the shield housing is surrounded by a copper film. Advantageously, the copper film brings about additional electromagnetic shielding of the USB socket. Any recesses, slots or gaps of the shield housing are thereby advantageously prevented from bringing about permeability with respect to electromagnetic radiation.

In an additional development of the USB socket, the shield housing is arranged in a socket housing. Advantageously, the socket housing may be constructed in a robust manner and thereby ensure protection of the USB socket against environmental influences.

In an additional development of the USB socket, it has a tensile relief member which is injected at a cable-side opening of the socket housing. Advantageously, damage to the USB socket owing to a force which acts on the cable is thereby prevented.

A method according to the invention for producing a USB socket comprises steps for providing a contact pin having a soldering face which is arranged at a longitudinal end of the contact pin and for casting the contact pin in a contact carrier in such a manner that the soldering face is accessible at a surface of the contact carrier.

Advantageously, the contact pin is fixed in the contact carrier using this method, which simplifies following steps for producing the USB socket. Since the soldering face of the contact pin is accessible at the surface of the contact carrier, in a following method step a wire can advantageously be soldered to the soldering face of the contact pin. The soldering operation can advantageously be carried out in an automated manner. In this instance, wires of different thicknesses and in particular also wires of a large diameter can advantageously be used.

In a development of the method, it has additional steps for arranging the contact carrier in a contact carrier receiving region of a contact housing and for producing a solder connection between a wire of a cable and the soldering face of the contact pin. These method steps can advantageously be carried out in an automated manner.

In an additional development of the method, it comprises additional steps for arranging the contact housing and the contact carrier in a shield housing, for arranging the shield housing in a socket housing and for injecting a plastics material in a cable-side longitudinal end of the socket housing in order to produce a tensile relief member for the cable. Using this method, a robust USB socket is advantageously produced in a cost-effective manner. The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to Figures, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of contact pins of a USB socket;

Figure 2 shows the contact pins which are cast in a contact carrier;

Figure 3 shows the contact carrier and a contact housing of a USB socket;

Figure 4 is another view of the contact carrier and contact housing of the USB socket;

Figure 5 is a view of the contact carrier arranged in a contact carrier receiving region of the contact housing;

Figure 6 shows the contact carrier and contact housing with cable wires soldered to the contact pins;

Figure 7 shows a first portion of a shield housing of a USB socket;

Figure 8 shows a second portion of the shield housing of the USB socket;

Figure 9 shows a socket housing of the USB socket with the shield housing arranged therein; Figure 10 shows a completely assembled USB socket;

Figure 1 1 shows a contact carrier of a USB socket according to a second embodiment;

Figure 12 shows a contact housing of a USB socket according to the second embodiment; and

Figure 13 shows a contact carrier of a USB socket according to a third embodiment.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of four contact pins 100. The contact pins 100 are provided to be installed in a USB socket. The USB socket may, for example, be a USB socket of type A or a USB socket of the Mini-B type.

The contact pins 100 comprise a first contact pin 1 10, a second contact pin 120, a third contact pin 130 and a fourth contact pin 140. The contact pins 100 comprise an electrically conductive material, preferably a metal. Each of the contact pins 100 has the basic form of an elongate bar having a first longitudinal end 101 and a second longitudinal end 102. At the second longitudinal end 102 of each contact pin 100 there is provided a soldering face 103 which is constructed as a substantially rectangular plate which is expanded with respect to the remaining portions of the contact pin 100. Close to the first longitudinal end 101 , each contact pin has a folded region 104 in which a contact region 105 is constructed.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a contact carrier 200 of a USB socket. The contact carrier 200 comprises an electrically insulating material, preferably a plastics material, and was preferably produced by means of injection moulding. The contact pins 100 of Figure 1 were partially cast in the contact carrier 200.

The contact carrier 200 has a surface 201 . The contact pins 100 are cast in the contact carrier 200 in such a manner that the soldering faces 103 of the contact pins 100 terminate in alignment with the surface 201 of the contact carrier 200. The soldering faces 103 of the contact pins 100 and the surface 201 of the contact carrier 200 consequently form a common flat surface. The contact pins 100 are fixed by means of the contact carrier 200 and electrically insulated with respect to each other.

The first longitudinal ends 101 of the contact pins 100 and the folded regions 104 with the contact regions 105 of the contact pins 100 are not cast in the contact carrier 200 but instead protrude from the contact carrier 200.

At a first outer face of the contact carrier 200, the contact carrier 200 has a first guiding rib 210. The first guiding rib 210 is orientated parallel with the extension direction of the contact pins 100. At a second outer face of the contact carrier 200 opposite the first guiding rib, the contact carrier 200 has a second guiding rib 220 which is also orientated parallel with the extension direction of the contact pins 100. The guiding ribs 210, 220 are placed in the manner of springs on the outer faces of the contact carrier and are provided to be pushed into guiding channels which are constructed in the manner of grooves in order to fix the contact carrier 200.

The second guiding rib 220, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, is orientated closer to the surface 201 than the first guiding rib 210. The spacing between the first guiding rib 210 and the surface 201 is consequently greater than the spacing between the second guiding rib 220 and the surface 201 . The contact carrier 200 thereby does not have mirror symmetry.

A first catch projection 215 is formed on the first guiding rib 210. There is accordingly constructed on the second guiding rib 220 a second catch projection 225, but it cannot be seen in Figure 2. The catch projections 215, 225 are provided to lock the contact carrier 200 in a contact housing, as will be explained below.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a contact housing 300 for a USB socket. The contact housing 300 comprises an electrically insulating material, preferably a plastics material. The contact housing 300 may, for example, be produced by means of injection moulding.

At a longitudinal end of the contact housing 300, there is formed a web 360. The web 360 has a first surface 361 and a second surface 362 located opposite the first surface 361 . The first surface 361 of the web 360 of the contact housing 300 is orientated in the same direction as the surface 201 of the contact carrier 200.

At a longitudinal end of the contact housing 300 opposite the web 360, there is provided a contact carrier receiving region 370 which serves to receive the contact carrier 200. The contact carrier receiving region 370 is laterally delimited by a first retention rail 380 and a second retention rail 390. The first retention rail 380 has a first guiding channel 381 which is arranged and constructed in such a manner that it can receive the first guiding rib 210 of the contact carrier 200. The second retention rail 390 has a second guiding channel 391 which is arranged and constructed in such a manner that it can receive the second guiding rib 220 of the contact carrier 200. Furthermore, the first retention rail 380 has a first catch edge 382. The second retention rail 390 has a second catch edge 383.

The contact housing 300 further has a first contact opening 310, a second contact opening 320, a third contact opening 330 and a fourth contact opening 340. The contact openings 310, 320, 330, 340 are provided to receive the portions of the contact pins 1 10, 120, 130, 140 which are cast in the contact carrier 200. The contact openings 310, 320, 330, 340 extend in such a manner relative to the second surface 362 of the web 360 of the contact housing 300 that the contact regions 105 of the contact pins 100 received in the contact openings 310, 320, 330, 340 are accessible on the second surface 362 of the web 360.

Figure 4 is another view of the contact carrier 200 and the contact housing 300. In the illustration of Figure 4, the contact carrier 200 is already partially arranged in the contact carrier receiving region 370 of the contact housing 300. The first guiding rib 210 of the contact carrier 200 is introduced into the first guiding channel 381 of the first retention rail 380 of the contact housing 300. The second guiding rib 220 of the contact carrier 200 is introduced into the second guiding rib 391 of the second retention rail 390 of the contact housing 300. The first longitudinal end 101 of the first contact pin 1 10 is introduced into the first contact opening 310 of the contact housing 300. The first longitudinal end 101 of the second contact pin 120 is introduced into the second contact opening 320 of the contact housing 300. The first longitudinal end 101 of the third contact pin 130 is introduced into the third contact opening 330 of the contact housing 300. The first longitudinal end 101 of the fourth contact pin 140 is introduced into the fourth contact opening 340 of the contact housing 300.

Since the first guiding channel 381 is not arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner relative to the second guiding channel 391 of the contact housing 300, and the first guiding rib 210 of the contact carrier 200 is not arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner with respect to the second guiding rib 220 of the contact carrier 200, the contact carrier 200 can be pushed into the contact carrier receiving region 370 of the contact housing 300 only precisely in the orientation shown in Figure 4. For example, it is not possible to introduce the first guiding rib 210 of the contact carrier 200 into the second guiding channel 391 and the second guiding rib 220 of the contact carrier 200 into the first guiding channel 381 of the contact housing 300.

The guiding ribs 210, 220 which are arranged in the guiding channels 381 , 391 can slide along in the guiding channels 381 , 391 until the contact carrier 200 is completely arranged in the contact carrier receiving region 370 of the contact housing 300 and the catch projections 215, 225 of the contact carrier 200 engage on the catch edges 382, 392 of the contact housing 300.

The engaged end position of the contact carrier 200 in the contact carrier receiving region 370 of the contact housing 300 is illustrated in Figure 5. The first catch projection 215 of the contact carrier 200 is engaged on the first catch edge 382 of the first retention rail 380 of the contact housing 300. Accordingly, but not visible in Figure 5, the second catch projection 225 of the contact carrier 200 is engaged on the second catch edge 392 of the second retention rail 390 of the contact housing 300.

The contact pins 100 are completely received in the contact openings 310, 320, 330, 340. The contact regions 105 of the contact pins 100 are accessible at the second surface 362 of the web 360 of the contact housing 300, which cannot be seen in the Figures. The soldering faces 103 of the contact pins 100 are accessible at the surface 201 of the contact carrier 200 in the contact carrier receiving region 370 of the contact housing 300. Figure 6 is another perspective view of the contact housing 300 with the contact carrier 200 arranged in the contact carrier receiving region 370 of the contact housing 300. Furthermore, Figure 6 shows a portion of a cable 400. The cable 400 has a first wire 410, a second wire 420, a third wire 430 and a fourth wire 440. The cable 400 may have other wires which are not illustrated in Figure 6. Furthermore, the cable 400 may have a cable shield which surrounds the wires 410, 420, 430, 440 and which is also not illustrated in Figure 6.

The first wire 410 of the cable 400 is soldered by means of a first solder connection 415 to the soldering face 103 of the first contact pin 1 10 to the surface 201 of the contact carrier 200. The second wire 420 of the cable 400 is accordingly soldered by means of a second solder connection 425 to the soldering face 103 of the second contact pin 120. The third wire 430 of the cable 400 is soldered by means of a third solder connection 435 to the soldering face 103 of the third contact pin 130. The fourth wire 440 of the cable 400 is soldered by means of a fourth solder connection 445 to the soldering face 103 of the fourth contact pin 140.

Since the soldering faces 103 of the contact pins 100 terminate in alignment with the surface 201 of the contact carrier 200 and form a common even surface, the solder connection 415, 425, 435, 445 can advantageously be produced in an automatic and mechanical manner. Furthermore, the wires 410, 420, 430, 440 do not necessarily all have to have the same diameter. In the exemplary illustration of Figure 6, the first wire 410 and the fourth wire 440 have a greater diameter than the second wire 420 and the third wire 430. However, the wires 410, 420, 430, 440 of the cable 400 could, of course, also all have the same diameter. Owing to the even arrangement of the soldering faces 103 of the contact pins 100 on the surface 201 of the contact carrier 200, the wires 410, 420, 430, 440 of the cable 400 may in total have a larger diameter than in USB sockets from the prior art.

Figure 7 is another perspective view of the contact carrier 200 which is received in the contact carrier receiving region 370 of the contact housing 300 with the cable 400 soldered thereto. The contact housing 300 and the contact carrier 200 have been arranged in a first portion 510 of a shield housing 500. The shield housing 500 comprises an electrically conductive material, preferably a metal, and serves to electromagnetically shield the contact pins 100 of the solder connection 415, 425, 435, 445 and the wires 410, 420, 430, 440 of the cable 400.

In the illustration of Figure 8, the first portion 510 of the shield housing 500 is connected to a second portion 520 of the shield housing 500. The first portion 510 and the second portion 520 of the shield housing 500 may be connected to each other, for example, by means of catch connections. The contact carrier 200 and the contact housing 300 are now almost completely surrounded by the portions 510, 520 of the shield housing 500. In the region of the cable 400, a crimped portion 530 of the shield housing 500 is constructed and compressed on the cable 400. If the cable 400 has a cable shield or another type of shield, the crimped portion 530 of the shield housing 500 may be connected to the shield of the cable 400 in an electrically conductive manner. The crimped portion 530 of the shield housing 500 further acts as a first tensile relief member for the cable 400. A tension which is applied to the cable 400 is received by the crimped portion 530 of the shield housing 500 and thereby protects the solder connections 415, 425, 435, 445 from becoming damaged.

The shield housing 500 may, in a subsequent processing step, still be surrounded or covered with a copper film or another electrically conductive film in order to further improve the electromagnetic shielding of the contact carrier 200 and the contact housing 300 with the conductive components which are arranged therein. However, this is not absolutely necessary.

Figure 9 is a sectioned view of a socket housing 600 of a USB socket. The socket housing 600 comprises an electrically insulating material, preferably a plastics material. The socket housing 600 has an elongate structure with an insertion side 601 and a cable side 602 opposite the insertion side 601 . The socket housing 600 is constructed in the manner of a hose with a through-opening which extends between the insertion side 601 and the cable side 602.

In this through-opening of the socket housing 600 there is arranged the shield housing 500 with the contact housing 300 arranged therein and the contact carrier 200 which is connected to the contact housing 300. The cable 400 which is soldered to the contact carrier 200 and which is crimped to the shield housing 500 extends from the inner side of the socket housing 600 through the cable side 602 out of the socket housing 600.

A stop 610 is provided inside the socket housing 600. The shield housing 500 and the components contained in the shield housing 500 have been pushed from the cable side 602 of the socket housing 600 into the socket housing 600 until the longitudinal end of the contact housing 300 having the web 360 has moved into abutment against the stop 610 of the socket housing 600. The socket housing 600 serves to protect the shield housing 500 and the components contained in the shield housing 500. Furthermore, the socket housing 600 serves to electrically insulate the shield housing 500 in an outward direction. From the insertion side 601 of the socket housing 600, a USB connector (not illustrated) can be inserted into the socket housing 600 in order to contact the contact pins 1 10, 120, 130, 140 in the region of the second surface 362 of the web 360 of the contact housing 300.

The crimped portion 530 of the shield housing 500 forms a first tensile relief member for the cable 400. If a tensile force is applied to the cable 400, in spite of the tensile relief brought about by the crimped portion 530 of the shield housing 500, tearing of the solder connections 415, 425, 435, 445 may occur between the wires 410, 420, 430, 440 of the cable 400 and the soldering faces 103 of the contact pins 100. Furthermore, a tensile force applied to the cable 400 may pull the shield housing 500 from the interior of the socket housing 600.

In order to prevent this, the cable 400 is fixed in a subsequent processing step to a tensile relief member in the socket housing 600. To this end, the shield housing 500 may be fixed using a suitable tool, for example, a USB connector or a tool which resembles a USB connector, in the socket housing 600 from the insertion side 601 of the socket housing 600. Subsequently, a plastics material is injected into the socket housing 600 from the cable side

602 of the socket housing 600. The injected plastics material surrounds the cable 400 and connects it to the socket housing 600 in a positive-locking manner.

Figure 10 is a resultant completed USB socket 10 with an injected tensile relief member 620 at the cable side 602 of the socket housing 600. The USB socket 10 may, for example, be a

USB socket of the Mini-B type.

The USB socket 10 and the method described above for producing the USB socket 10 afford the advantage that the wires 410, 420, 430, 440 of the cable 400 can be readily and automatically soldered to the soldering faces 103 of the contact pins 100 at the surface 201 of the contact carrier 200. The wires 410, 420, 430, 440 of the cable 400 may also advantageously have different diameters in each case. It is clear to a person skilled in the art that the configuration of the individual components of the USB socket 10 may deviate from the described embodiment, without losing the advantages mentioned. Various alternative embodiments are set out in a cursory manner below. Furthermore, however, other variants are also possible. Figure 1 1 is a perspective view of a contact carrier 1200 of a USB socket. The contact pins 100 of Figure 1 are cast in the contact carrier 1200 in such a manner that the soldering faces 103 of the contact pins 100 are accessible at an even surface 1201 of the contact carrier 120 and terminate in alignment with the surface 1201 of the contact carrier 1200.

The contact carrier 1200 has a first guiding rib 1210 which is arranged on a first outer face of the contact carrier 1200. Furthermore, the contact carrier 1200 has a second guiding rib 1220 at an outer face of the contact carrier 1200 opposite the first guiding rib 1210. Substantially centrally in the longitudinal direction of the first guiding rib 1210, a first catch projection 1215 is placed on the first guiding rib 1210. Accordingly, the second guiding rib 1220 also has a second catch projection 1225. In contrast to the guiding ribs 210, 220 of the contact carrier 200 of Figure 2, the guiding ribs 1210, 1220 of the contact carrier 1200 are arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner with respect to each other.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a contact housing 1300 which is constructed so as to correspond to the contact carrier 1200 of Figure 1 1 . The contact housing 1300 has a contact carrier receiving region 1370 in which the contact carrier 1200 can be arranged. The contact carrier receiving region 1370 is laterally delimited by a first retention rail 1380 and by a second retention rail 1390. The first retention rail 1380 has a first guiding edge 1381 and a first catch edge 1382. The second retention rail 1390 has a second guiding edge 1391 and a second catch edge 1392. The first guiding rib 1210 of the contact carrier 1200 may slide along the first guiding edge 1381 of the first retention rail 1380 until the first catch projection 1215 of the contact carrier 1200 engages with the first catch edge 1382 of the first retention rail 1380 of the contact housing 1300. The second guiding rib 1220 of the contact carrier 1200 may slide along the second retention rail 1390 until the second catch projection 1225 of the contact carrier 1200 engages with the second catch edge 1392 of the second retention rail 1390 of the contact carrier 1200.

The contact housing 1300 has a portion which is constructed as a web 1360 and which is opposite the contact carrier receiving region 1370 of the contact housing 1300 and which corresponds to the web 360 of the contact housing 300 of Figure 3. However, the web 1360 of the contact housing 1300 is provided with channels 1361 which are orientated parallel with the extension direction of the retention rails 1380, 1390 and which facilitate a production of the contact housing 1300 by means of injection moulding. Furthermore, the contact housing 1300 has a first contact opening 310, a second contact opening 320, a third contact opening 330 and a fourth contact opening 340 which serve to receive the free ends of the contact pins 100 which are cast in the contact carrier 1200 of Figure 1 1 . In addition, the contact housing 1300 further has a fifth contact opening 350 which is arranged between the first contact opening 310 and the second contact opening 320. The fifth contact opening 350 may serve to receive a fifth contact pin 100 if there is one provided on the contact carrier 1200. A fifth contact pin 100 on the contact carrier 1200 may, for example, serve to transmit an ID signal. The fifth contact opening 350 of the contact housing 1300 may, however, also remain unused or be omitted completely.

In addition, the contact housing 1300 has, opposite the contact housing 300 of Figure 3, an additional recess 1301 in a region between the contact carrier receiving region 1370 and the web 1360, which facilitates the production of the contact housing 1300 by means of injection moulding.

Figure 13 shows a contact carrier 4200 according to another embodiment. The contact carrier 4200 has a surface 4201 . The contact carrier 4200 is constructed in the manner of the contact carrier 1200 illustrated in Figure 1 1 . Four contact pins 4100 are cast in the contact carrier 4200 in such a manner that soldering faces 4103 of the contact pins 4100 are accessible at the surface 4201 of the contact carrier 4200 and terminate in alignment with the surface 4201 of the contact carrier 4200.

The soldering faces 4103 of the contact pins 4100 each have one or more recesses 4150. In the example illustrated, each soldering face 4103 has three recesses 4150. The recesses

4150 are constructed as channels. The soldering faces 4103 of the contact pins 4100 are recessed but not perforated in the region of the recesses 4150. However, it would also be possible to construct the recesses 4150 as through-perforations. The recesses 4150 are constructed in the example illustrated as elongate channels which are orientated transversely relative to a longitudinal direction of the contact pins 4100. However, a different orientation of the recesses 4150 would also be possible.

If an electrical conductor is soldered to one of the soldering faces 4103, the recesses 4150 in the corresponding soldering face 4103 provide additional mechanical retention for the solder- tin used to solder the conductor. The solder connection produced thereby has a particularly high tensile strength. The recesses 4150 illustrated in Figure 13 can also be provided in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 12.

Claims

1 . USB socket (10)

having a contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200) and a contact pin (100, 4100), the contact pin (100, 4100) having a soldering face (103, 4103) which is arranged at a longitudinal end (102) of the contact pin (100, 4100),

the soldering face (103, 4103) of the contact pin (100, 4100) being cast in the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200) in such a manner that the soldering face (103, 4103) is accessible at a surface (201 , 1201 , 4201 ) of the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200).

2. USB socket (10) according to claim 1 ,

the soldering face (103, 4103) terminating in alignment with the surface (201 , 1201 , 4201 ) of the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200).

3. USB socket (10) according to either claim 1 or claim 2,

the soldering face (4103) having a recess (4150).

4. USB socket (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

a wire (410, 420, 430, 440) of a cable (400) being soldered to the soldering face (103, 4103).

5. USB socket (10) according to any one of the preceding claims,

the USB socket (10) having a contact housing (300, 1300), the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200) being arranged in a contact carrier receiving region (370) of the contact housing (300, 1300).

6. USB socket (10) according to claim 5,

the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200) having a guiding rib (210, 220, 1210, 1220) which is arranged in a guiding channel (381 , 391 , 1381 , 1391 ) of the contact housing (300, 1300), the guiding rib (210, 220, 1210, 1220) and the guiding channel (381 , 391 , 1381 , 1391 ) being arranged in such a manner that the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200) can be arranged only in a fixed orientation in the contact carrier receiving region (370) of the contact housing (300, 130).

7. USB socket (10) according to either claim 5 or claim 6,

the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200) having a catch projection (215, 225, 1215, 1225) which is engaged on a catch edge (382, 392, 1382, 1392) of the contact housing (300, 1300).

8. USB socket (10) according to any one of claims 5 to 7,

the contact housing (300, 1300) and the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200) being arranged in a shield housing (500).

9. USB socket (10) according to claims 4 and 8,

the shield housing (500) being crimped with the cable (400).

10. USB socket (10) according to either claim 8 or claim 9,

the shield housing (500) being surrounded by a copper film.

1 1 . USB socket (10) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, the shield housing (500) being arranged in a socket housing (600).

12. USB socket (10) according to claim 1 1 ,

the USB socket (10) having a tensile relief member (620) which is injected at a cable-side opening (602) of the socket housing (600).

13. Method for producing a USB socket (10),

which comprises the following steps:

- providing a contact pin (100, 4100) having a soldering face (103, 4103) which is arranged at a longitudinal end (102) of the contact pin (100, 4100);

- casting the contact pin (100, 4100) in a contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200) in such a manner that the soldering face (103, 4103) is accessible at a surface (201 , 1201 , 4201 ) of the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200).

14. Method according to claim 13,

the method comprising the following additional steps:

- arranging the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200) in a contact carrier receiving region (370) of a contact housing (300, 1300);

- producing a solder connection (415, 425, 435, 445) between a wire (410, 420, 430, 440) of a cable (400) and the soldering face (103, 4103) of the contact pin (100, 4100).

15. Method according to claim 14,

the method comprising the following additional steps: - arranging the contact housing (300, 1300) and the contact carrier (200, 1200, 4200) in a shield housing (500);

- arranging the shield housing (500) in a socket housing (600);

- injecting a plastics material in a cable-side longitudinal end (602) of the socket housing (600) in order to produce a tensile relief member (620) for the cable (400).