Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Retaining means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-13
2003-09-16
Gilman, Alexander (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Retaining means
C439S357000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06619976
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to communication connections. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus and method for retaining a connection between male and female connectors, such as USB connectors, to minimize the occurrence of accidental disconnects between the connectors.
Connections using the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard are becoming increasingly more commonplace and useful in computer peripheral devices, audiovisual equipment, and electronic devices in general. Such devices have advantages including a simple mechanical connection, an ability to connect and disconnect while a device is in operation (“hot plugging”), an ability to connect several devices, and a large selection of devices using this connection standard.
FIG. 1
shows typical prior art male
10
and female
12
A-side USB connectors, also known as A-type or Series A connectors. The principal mechanical and electrical characteristics of these connectors are standardized according to convention known in the art. The female connector
12
or socket contains a metal connector casing
14
having upper
16
and lower
18
surfaces, each surface having a pair of retention prongs
20
typically cut and formed out of the resilient metal used to manufacture the metal connector casing. The retention prongs
20
each have a detent
22
for holding the male connector
10
, created by bending a portion of the retention prongs inwardly (for the upper surface
16
as shown, downwardly, and for the lower surface
18
, upwardly).
The male connector
10
has a metal connector body
24
connected to a cable
26
for communication with a device. The connector body
24
contains upper
28
and lower
30
surfaces, each having a pair of receiving portions, such as typically square surface holes
32
, which are aligned with the detents
22
of the retention prongs
20
of the female connector
12
when the male connector
10
is fully inserted. As shown in
FIGS. 2A-2C
, as the male connector
10
is inserted into the female connector
12
(FIG.
2
A), the upper and lower retention prongs
20
are forced outwardly from an inner resting position to an outwardly flexed position (FIG.
2
B). When the male connector
10
is inserted to the point where the retention prongs
20
align with the surface holes
32
(FIG.
2
C), the retention prongs, being made of resilient material, naturally return inwardly toward an inner holding position and the detents
22
partially fall into the surface holes
32
, creating a snap fit which retains the connection. Because the detents
22
of the retention prongs
20
are somewhat rounded, this type of connection allows relatively easy insertion and removal (see
FIGS. 2D and 2E
) of the male connector
10
from the female connector
12
, while providing a degree of resistance to disconnection.
FIG. 13
shows a typical prior art B-side male connector
80
and a female (socket) connector
88
. The male connector
80
includes a cable
26
and a metal connector body
82
having a pair of side surfaces
84
, only one of which is visible in FIG.
13
. Each of the side surfaces
84
includes a vertically extending outward projection
86
having a rounded surface. When the male connector
80
is inserted into the female connector
88
, inwardly extending ends of a pair of rotation prongs
92
on side surfaces
90
(only one side surface is visible in
FIG. 13
) of the female connector engage receiving portions of the male connector on a rearwardly facing side (in
FIG. 13
, the left side) of the projections
86
.
The connection is thus retained, but the male connector
80
and female connector
88
, like the A-side male
10
and female
12
connectors, can be easily connected and disconnected due at least in part to the rounded surface of the projections
86
.
However, such ease of connection and disconnection creates a problem for use in devices where a more secure attachment is desired. For certain electrical devices, it is desirable to connect products easily, yet keep them from inadvertently disconnecting. In such devices, a user may need to connect the device only once, and not disconnect the device unless the device needs to be moved. For these devices a user may not desire such easy disconnection. Or, the user may wish to have a connection that provides easy insertion and de-insertion, while also providing a lock to prevent accidental disconnection. Certain environments may include positioning of the connected device that creates tension on the USB cable. If the device is moved or jostled, even unintentionally, the cable is prone to undesirably disconnect from the device.
Prior solutions to this problem, such as clamps, mounting clips or other methods of strain relief have proved ineffective to solve the problem of providing a USB connection that, while easy to connect, is not too easily disconnected.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an inventive apparatus and method for retaining the connection of first and second electrical connectors, while still allowing a relatively easy connection. The basic concept of this invention is to increase a required connector extraction force or lock the connection so the device is not inadvertently disconnected. The present invention retains the connection by, among other things, modifying a device containing a second connector to create a restraining element for biasing the retention prongs toward an inner holding position, or by modifying the retention prongs of the second connector.
In one embodiment, a device having a second connector is modified to form a restraining element for providing pressure to the retention prongs, to bias them towards an inner holding position. This restraining element may include one or more cutouts forming flexible members in a connection area of the device surrounding the second connector, and may have one or more pairs of contact members supported by the flexible members for contacting the retention prongs.
In another embodiment, a restraining element in the form of a sliding latch may be used in which the sliding latch contains a pair of elongated legs having teeth and slots. The sliding latch may be slidingly positioned so that either the teeth or the slots are aligned with the retention prongs. When the teeth are aligned with the retention prongs, they substantially prevent the retention prongs from moving to an outwardly flexed, non-holding position, thus locking a connection. In a related embodiment, a second connector can be fitted with a sleeve having inwardly projecting stops which can be positioned toward the retention prongs, to maintain the retention prongs in their holding position.
In yet another embodiment, the retention prongs of the second connector are modified by forming at least one barbed projection which is acutely angled towards the back of the second connector. The barbed projection enters the surface holes of the first connector as it is inserted and substantially prevents removal of the first connector unless the modified retention prongs are separately lifted by, for example, manipulating a tab connected to the modified retention prongs.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4746306 (1988-05-01), Yurtin et al.
patent: 4946395 (1990-08-01), Cope et al.
patent: 5234356 (1993-08-01), Maejima et al.
patent: 5651689 (1997-07-01), Plyler et al.
patent: 5772461 (1998-06-01), Yu
patent: 6254418 (2001-07-01), Tharp et al.
patent: 6332799 (2001-12-01), Torii et al.
Huetter John P.
Kunze Richard J.
Sanford Craig A.
Gilman Alexander
Hewlett-Packard Development Company LP.
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