Electrical connectors – Connector movable between accessible and inaccessible positions
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-09
2001-11-06
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Connector movable between accessible and inaccessible positions
C439S172000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312271
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a connector having a foldable plug.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An electrical connector principally includes an insulating housing, a plug and a circuit mounted within the housing. The plug is used to accept power supplied by an external power source and deliver the power to the circuit. The arrangement of the circuit is dependent on the function of the connector, for example being as an adapter or a charger, to perform rectification or conversion for a power-receiving device. The plug of a typical connector usually has two conducting pins projected from one side of the housing. When the connector is not in use, a man is easy to get hurt by the tips of projected pins. Thus, a connector having a foldable plug has been developed. FIGS.
1
(
a
) and
1
(
b
) show the perspective view and cross-sectional view of a typical connector having a foldable plug. Such connector includes a housing
10
and a plug
11
. The housing further has a concave storage confinement
12
near the top edge of the housing
10
. The plug
11
is mainly composed of a rod
111
having a tenon
114
on each side thereof, two first pins
112
and two second pins
113
. The first pins
112
and the second pins
113
respectively have holes
115
and
116
corresponding to the tenon
114
for inserting the tenon
114
to make the connection of the first pins
112
, the second pins
113
and the rod
111
. Each side wall of the concave storage confinement
12
has a spring receptacle
121
containing a spring
122
. The ends of the spring
122
are respectively in contact with a side of the spring receptacle
121
and a cavity
117
disposed in each of the first pins
112
via a fixing element
123
. The plug is positioned in the concave storage confinement
12
by the resilience force of the springs
122
and folded by adjusting the first pins to drive the second pins and rotate the rod
111
. Thus, the plug
11
is electrically connected to the circuit mounted inside the housing
11
.
Although the above mentioned connector has a foldable plug, the connector still has the following drawbacks:
1. Five elements, i.e. one rod
111
, two first pins
112
, two second pins, are required for assembling the plug
10
; furthermore, assembling the connector further needs two springs
122
, two fixing elements
123
, one upper housing and one lower housing of the insulating housing
10
and one circuit board (not shown), that is to say, thirteen elements are require to assemble the connector, which is costly in managing and purchasing the elements.
2. The process for assembling the plug
10
is complicated and the first pins
112
and the second pins
113
are easily detached from the tenon
114
.
Therefore, the present invention provides an improved structure of a connector having a foldable plug for overcoming the problems described above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure of a connector having a foldable plug for reducing the assembling elements.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a structure of a connector having a foldable plug and easily manufactured by simple assembly operation so as to reduce the manufacturing cost and time.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure of a connector for connecting a power supply to a power-receiving device. The connector includes an upper housing, a plug, an orientating base, a circuit board and a lower housing. The plug includes a rod and two pins, wherein the rod is connected with the two pins by plastic molding. The upper housing has a plug receptacle in one side thereof and two holes for passing the pins therethrough, wherein the two cavities are disposed in the other side of the pin receptacle and corresponding to the two ends of the rod. The orientating base is a plastic resilience having a first notch for supporting the rod. The circuit board is in contact with the orientating base. The lower housing supports the circuit board and is engaged with the upper housing.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the pins of the plug are electrically connected with the circuit board when the plug is folded to a first position, and the pins are disconnected with the circuit board when the plug is folded to a second position.
Certainly, the connector according to the present invention can be adapted to be used in one selected form a group consisting of an adapter, a charger and an electrical appliance.
Preferably, the first notch is U-shaped.
Preferably, the lower housing further includes a projecting sheet.
Preferably, the projecting sheet is integrally with the lower housing.
Preferably, the circuit board further has an opening corresponding to the projecting sheet for fixing the circuit board.
Preferably, the circuit board further includes two metal sheets corresponding to the ends of the two pins.
Preferably, the orientating base further includes a second notch, and the second notch is U-shaped.
Preferably, the second notch is integrally formed with the first notch.
Preferably, the upper housing further includes a connecting arm corresponding to the second notch.
The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:
REFERENCES:
patent: 4997381 (1991-03-01), Oh
patent: 5494449 (1996-02-01), Chioo
patent: 5613863 (1997-03-01), Klaus et al.
patent: 5967807 (1999-10-01), Wu
patent: 6089886 (2000-07-01), Mareno
patent: 6126460 (2000-10-01), Wu
Delta Electronics , Inc.
Klein & Szekeres LLP
Nguyen Son V.
Sircus Brian
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