Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-03
2003-01-07
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
66
Reexamination Certificate
active
06503106
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric jack. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electric jack which has both internal connection terminals and external connection terminals for use in mobile phones or other equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Number 64-63283, discloses a jack including a housing and an internal contact. The housing includes a tubular piece. The internal contact has a contact piece placed in an interior of the housing. A cap-shaped external contact is located on the tubular piece. Audio signals are transmitted from a device body to a headphone (including an earphone) by the internal contact. The external contact transmits a control signal from a remote control to a device body.
The external contact has a tubular shape (cap-shaped). The external contact is held in place by joining an end portion of the housing. In use, the external contact is connected to the jack. Unfortunately, in this device, the jack is so small that a jack of useful size has room for only one external contact. Since the control signal transmitted is limited, the jack cannot be used for a multi-functional portable audio device.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a multipolar connector which overcomes the limitations of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention is to provide a multipolar connector equipped with a plurality of external contacts and an internal contact.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multipolar jack connector that allows secure electrical connection between a plurality of external contacts and at least one internal contact.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a jack that may be easily adapted for use in a plurality of portable and fixed electronic devices.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a jack that may be easily adapted to multi-functional uses.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a jack that is easily adapted to multi-polar designs and is effective to minimize the overall size of the jack.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a jack that is easy to manufacture and provides stable and secure connection to a plug while eliminating instability during soldering to a substrate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a jack that is readily adapted to handle a plurality of signals or remote controlled devices, such as headphones.
The present invention relates to a jack including a housing having a cylindrical piece, a body, and at least one external connection terminal. The cylindrical piece includes a plug insertion hole and the body includes an inner chamber. The plug insertion hole and the chamber receive an plug for electrical connection to a circuit. The external connection terminals are fixed to the housing in grooves to simplify assembly. The external connection terminals include elastic pieces and contact pieces. During assembly with a plug, elastic pieces elastically urge contact pieces into electrical contact with an inner conduction portion of the plug to provide secure electrical connection.
According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack for electrically connecting a plug to a circuit, the jack comprising: a housing, the housing including a body piece and an insertion piece, the insertion piece having a first perimeter and an insertion hole, the body piece bounding a chamber adjacent the insertion hole, the insertion hole and the chamber effective to receive the plug during a plug insertion along a plug insertion direction, at least a first external connection terminal in the housing, the first external connection terminal including at least a first contact piece, a first elastic piece, a first leg piece, and a first latching tab, the first elastic piece operable parallel to the plug insertion direction, the first leg piece extending perpendicular to the plug insertion direction, the first latching tab fixing the first external connection terminal in at least a first long groove in the housing, the first contact piece extending away from the insertion hole and being proximate the first perimeter prior to the plug insertion, and the first elastic piece and the first contact piece effective to elastically engage a first inner portion of the plug during the plug insertion and displace the first contact piece toward the insertion hole, whereby the jack enables reliable and elastic electrical connection from the plug to the circuit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: at least a second external connection terminal in the housing, at least a second long groove in the housing, the first long groove being parallel to the plug insertion direction, and the second long groove being parallel to the plug insertion direction.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: a first holding piece on the first external connection terminal, a first support piece on the first external connection terminal, the first support piece including a first bent piece projecting perpendicular from the first support piece, and the first long groove effective to guidably receive the first holding piece, the first support piece, and the first latching tab and retain the first external connection terminal in the first long groove, thereby supporting the first elastic piece and the first contact piece.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the second external connection terminal includes at least a second contact piece, a second elastic piece, a second leg piece, and a second latching tab, the second leg piece extending perpendicular to the plug insertion direction, the second contact piece extending away from the insertion hole and being proximate the first perimeter prior to the plug insertion, and the second elastic piece and the second contact piece effective to elastically engage a second inner portion of the plug during the plug insertion and displace the second contact piece toward the insertion hole, whereby the jack enables reliable and elastic multi-pole electrical connection from the plug to the circuit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: a second holding piece on the second external connection terminal, a second support piece on the second external connection terminal, and the second long groove effective to guidably receive at least the second holding piece, the second support piece, and the second latching tab and retain the second external connection terminal in the second long groove, thereby supporting the second elastic piece and the second contact piece.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: a first short groove, the first short groove continuous with at least the first long groove, a second short groove, the second short groove continuous with at least the second long groove, the first short groove effective to receive the first elastic piece and enable the first elastic piece and the first contact piece to elastically displace toward the insertion hole during the plug insertion, whereby the first elastic piece has sufficient room to elastically flex in the first short groove while minimizing a size of the jack, and the second short groove effective to receive the second elastic piece and enable the second elastic piece and the second contact piece to elastically displace toward the insertion hole during the plug insertion, whereby the second elastic piece has sufficient room to elastically flex in the second short groove while minimizing the size of the jack.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the first and the second leg pieces extend parallel to a substrate face of the
Darby & Darby
McCamey Ann
Paumen Gary
SMK Corporation
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