Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-10
2004-07-13
Hyeon, Hae Moon (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S669000, C439S346000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06761593
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical socket, more particularly to an electrical socket that is used for recharging electronic equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 1
to
3
, a conventional electrical socket
1
is adapted to be mounted on a circuit board (not shown), and is used for receiving a hollow plug
2
of an electronic equipment that is to be recharged. The plug
2
includes an engaging end portion
20
having an outer surface formed with an annular groove
21
. The conventional electrical socket
1
includes a socket body
11
, a central terminal pin
12
fixed within the socket body
11
, a first terminal
13
connected fixedly to a lateral side of the socket body
11
and connected electrically to the central terminal pin
12
, a second terminal
14
inserted into the socket body
11
, and a spring terminal piece
15
adjacent to the second terminal
14
.
The socket body
11
includes a wall unit
111
that defines a plug hole
112
for receiving the plug
2
of the electronic equipment therein, and a receiving recess portion
113
that is in communication with the plug hole
112
. The plug hole
112
has a diameter, which is much larger than that of the engaging end portion
20
of the plug
2
, and has an open end
1121
and a closed end
1122
opposite to the open end
1121
. The first and second terminals
13
,
14
are isolated electrically from each other. The spring terminal piece
15
includes a positioning portion
151
positioned on the socket body
11
, a limiting portion
152
abutting releasably against the second terminal
14
, and a curved movable portion
153
interconnecting the positioning and limiting portions
151
,
152
and extending into the plug hole
112
.
Before the plug
2
of the electronic equipment is inserted into the plug hole
112
in the socket
1
, the limiting portion
152
of the spring terminal piece
15
is in electrical contact with the second terminal
14
. In actual practice, the spring terminal piece
15
and the second terminal
14
are connected electrically to a light source (not shown), such as a light emitting diode, so that on/off operation of the light source is controlled by electrical connection and disconnection of the spring terminal piece
15
and the second terminal
14
.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, when the plug
2
is inserted into the plug hole
112
, it is sleeved directly on the central terminal pin
12
so as to connect electrically with the first terminal
13
, thereby permitting recharging of the electronic equipment. The movable portion
153
of the spring terminal piece
15
is pressed downwardly by the plug
2
at this moment so as to move the limiting portion
152
of the spring terminal piece
15
away from the second terminal
14
so that the light source is turned off. When the engaging end portion
20
of the plug
2
is disposed at the closed end
1122
of the plug hole
112
, the movable portion
153
of the spring terminal piece
15
engages the groove
21
in the engaging end portion
20
of the plug
2
, thereby preventing removal of the plug
2
from the central terminal pin
12
. At this moment, the electronic equipment can be recharged.
However, in actual practice, the spring terminal piece
15
of the conventional electrical socket
1
easily experiences fatigue due to frequent plugging and removal of the plug
2
with respect to the electrical socket
1
, such that the plug
2
is likely to loosen undesirably from the electrical socket
1
. Furthermore, the service life of the conventional electrical socket
1
is shortened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical socket that is capable of overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art.
According to the present invention, an electrical socket is adapted for receiving a hollow plug of an electronic equipment therein so as to permit recharging of the electronic equipment. The plug includes an engaging end portion that has an outer surface formed with an annular groove. The socket comprises a socket body made of an insulating material, a central terminal pin, and a curved spring terminal piece. The socket body includes a front surface, a bottom surface, and a protrusion. The bottom surface has a dovetail groove, which is adapted to receive the hollow plug therein and which has an open end that is formed in the front surface of the socket body, and a closed end opposite to the open end of the dovetail groove. The dovetail groove is defined by an inner wall surface, and has a rear end retaining portion that is proximate to the closed end of the dovetail groove and that is adapted to receive the engaging end portion of the plug fittingly therein. The protrusion protrudes from the inner wall surface, and is adapted to engage the annular groove in the plug when the plug is inserted into the socket body. The central terminal pin is fixed within the socket body, extends along the center of the dovetail groove, and is adapted to be inserted into the plug so as connect electrically therewith, thereby permitting recharging of the electronic equipment. The curved spring terminal piece is disposed in the socket body, and has an end fastened to the socket body, and a movable portion that is adapted to engage the groove in the plug so as to be adapted to press the plug against the protrusion such that the plug is clamped between the protrusion and the terminal pin.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4619496 (1986-10-01), Forney et al.
patent: 4934367 (1990-06-01), Daglow et al.
patent: 4954096 (1990-09-01), Frank
patent: 5147221 (1992-09-01), Cull et al.
patent: 5961347 (1999-10-01), Hsu
patent: 6478617 (2002-11-01), Fan
patent: 0945482 (1964-01-01), None
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Excell Cell Electronic Co. Ltd.
Hyeon Hae Moon
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