Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-20
2003-05-27
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06568963
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly including an audio jack connector and a DC jack connector.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known that an audio jack connector of a general mobile phone has a housing and a set of audio contacts, wherein the housing has a elongated mating hole receiving an audio jack and a plurality of passageways. In assembly, the passageways retain the set of audio contacts, each contact having a tail portion with a contact tab. The tail portion extends out of the housing through a corresponding passageway. Thus the contacts of the audio jack connector are pressed to a printed circuit board (PCB) to form an electrical connection. The passageways extend through the housing, receiving part of the contacts, so the contacts could not be retained steadily in the housing after the audio jack connector is mounted on the PCB. Thus an inconvenient and unreliable connection between the contacts and the audio plug is formed, and signal between the audio jack connector and the PCB could not be transmitted properly for the contact tabs could not be held down to a same plane.
Mobile phones use DC jack connectors to charge. The connectors are usually provided with two sets of powering contacts adapted respectively for two types of powering devices.
CN patent No. 99256239.2 discloses a DC jack connector connecting to two powering devices. The DC jack connector is provided with a first connecting element, a second connecting element, a first set of powering contacts and a second set of powering contacts connecting to a first powering device and a second powering device respectively. The first set of powering contacts has a first powering contact and a second powering contact. The second set of powering contacts has a third powering contact and a fourth powering contact. A rigid pin extending from one end of the third powering contact connects to the internal terminal of the second powering device. A flexible arm extending from the other end of the third powering contact is formed above the rigid pin. The fourth powering contact has a second flexible arm. The second powering contact, the fourth powering contact and the second connecting element form a first circuit loop, and the first powering contact, the third powering contact and the first connecting element form a second circuit loop. The two circuit loops connect to the PCB of the mobile phone through a first and second flexible arms.
However, the powering contacts of the prior art do not have locating tabs, so that the powering contacts could not be retained securely in the housing. Furthermore, the rigid pin and the first flexible arm of the third powering contact are integrated resulting in a complicated process and a great waste.
Hence, an improved electrical connector assembly with improved audio contacts and powering contacts is needed to overcome the forgoing shortcomings.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly, wherein contacts of the electrical connector assembly could be deposited in a housing steadily and be made easily.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly used with an audio plug and two powering devices.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly forming a reliable connection between a printed circuit board (PCB) and the electrical connector assembly.
An electrical connector assembly according to the present invention includes a housing, a set of audio contacts, a first and second sets of powering contacts. The housing defines a plurality of channels and retaining grooves, an audio jack and a DC jack. The set of audio contacts has a plurality of audio contacts, each contact having a base portion, a locating tab and a contact tab. The first set of powering contacts has a first and second powering contacts, each powering contact having a base portion, a tab, a mating portion and a detent portion. The second set of powering contacts has a third powering contact, a fourth powering contact, a connecting element, a fifth and sixth powering contacts, each powering contact having a base portion or a locating tab. Each of the third and the fifth powering contacts has a contact tab, and the fourth powering contact has a rigid pin.
In assembly, the base portions of the contacts are received in the channels of the housing, and the locating tabs of the contacts are retained in the retaining grooves. The contact tabs of the audio contacts are assembled on a same plane, so that the audio contacts connect with circuitries of the PCB reliably. A first circuit loop is formed among the second and third powering contacts, the sixth powering contact and the connecting element, and a second circuit loop is formed among the first powering contact, the fourth powering contact and the fifth powering contact. The first and second circuit loops connect respectively with the circuitries of the PCB to the powering devices through the sixth and seventh contact tabs.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5092795 (1992-03-01), Kitagawa
patent: 5201677 (1993-04-01), Takayama
patent: 6126465 (2000-10-01), Franks, Jr.
patent: 6244905 (2001-06-01), Wang
patent: 6346013 (2002-02-01), Zhang et al.
Liu Li-Qi
Zhang Jian-Qiang
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Nguyen Khiem
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