Electrical connectors – With guiding means for mating of coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-24
2002-06-18
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With guiding means for mating of coupling part
C439S135000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06406321
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to structure for connecting a connector for charge and/or data communication for use in portable telephones.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As shown in
FIG. 9
, with a conventional portable telephone, an I/F socket
92
is exposed at an opening
91
provided on one end of a telephone body
9
. An I/F connector
2
is fitted into the opening
91
to have an end portion
21
of the I/F connector
2
engaged with the I/F socket
92
, to connect the telephone body
9
to a personal computer, whereby data communication is performed with a portable telephone.
However, when the end portion
21
of the I/F connector
2
is engaged with the I/F socket
92
of the portable telephone
9
, difficulty is encountered in adjusting the positions of the portion
21
and the socket
92
. If the connector
2
is pushed, with force, with the positions displaced, the connector
2
is caused to hit an end portion of a casing entailing the likelihood of causing damage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide auxiliary structure for connecting a connector wherein an end portion of the connector can easily be engaged with a socket of a portable telephone body and the connector is unlikely to be damaged when the connector is connected to the socket of the portable telephone.
In the auxiliary structure for connecting a connector for use in a portable telephone of the invention, a connecting auxiliary member
3
made of softer material than the one used for a casing of the telephone body
1
is fixed to an opening
11
of a telephone body
1
. The connecting auxiliary member
3
is formed with an insertion hole
31
for the connector
2
to be fitted into, and formed with a guide face
32
surrounding the insertion hole
31
for guiding an end portion
21
of the connector
2
to the position of engagement with a socket
5
.
According to the auxiliary structure for connecting a connector of the invention described, when the connector
2
is fitted into the insertion hole
31
of the connecting auxiliary member
3
to connect the connector
2
for charge and/or data communication to the socket
5
of the telephone body
1
, the connector
2
is guided by the guide face
32
of the connecting auxiliary member
3
to have the end portion
21
led automatically to the position of engagement with the socket
5
, so that the user needs not to make delicate adjustment of the position. In this step, even if the connector
2
is pressed forcefully against the guide face
32
of the connecting auxiliary member
3
, the connector is unlikely to be damaged since the connecting auxiliary member
3
is made of softer material than the one used for the casing.
Stated specifically, the connecting auxiliary member
3
is removably attached to the opening
11
of the telephone body
1
. The closure member
4
for the opening equipped with a cover member
40
for closing the opening
11
can be attached to the opening
11
of the telephone body
1
, and is interchangeable with the connecting auxiliary member
3
.
With this specific construction, one of the connecting auxiliary member
3
and the closure member
4
for the opening is selectively usable according to whether the data communication, for example, is performed using a personal computer. In other words, the user who will conduct the data communication usually attaches the connecting auxiliary member
3
to the portable telephone body
1
to perform charge and/or data communication with use of the I/F connector
2
. On the other hand, the user who will not conduct the data communication usually attaches the closure member
4
for the opening to the telephone body
1
, and when a battery is to be charged, the closure member
4
for the opening is removed to perform charging, for example, with use of a charger comprising contact electrodes.
As described above, with the auxiliary structure for connecting a connector for use in the portable telephone of the invention, when the connector is connected to the socket of the portable telephone body, the end portion of the connector can be engaged with the socket easily. Further, the connector is unlikely to be damaged.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4773032 (1988-09-01), Uehara et al.
patent: 4795354 (1989-01-01), Owen
patent: 5728974 (1998-03-01), Kitoh et al.
patent: 5769646 (1998-06-01), Cavello et al.
patent: 5812660 (1998-09-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 6101372 (2000-08-01), Kubo
patent: 6183274 (2001-02-01), Allum
patent: 6226536 (2001-05-01), Miyashita
patent: 6254428 (2001-07-01), Murakami et al.
patent: 6307934 (2001-10-01), Moster et al.
Hayashi Masahiko
Tsukakoshi Yukio
Yabu Tadahiko
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Bradley P. Austin
Gushi Ross
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
LandOfFree
Auxiliary structure for connecting connector for use in... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Auxiliary structure for connecting connector for use in..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Auxiliary structure for connecting connector for use in... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2943505