Modular jack

Details Modular jack Modular jack

2002-06-13

2003-05-13

Feild, Lynn D. (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With indicating or identifying provision

Connection indicating provision

Reexamination Certificate

active

06561842

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modular jack that receives a modular plug and has light emitting diodes (LEDs).
2. Description of the Related Art
A modular jack having light emitting diodes is generally used for telephone equipment or local area network (LAN). Such a modular jack is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,157.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, the modular jack
1
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,7000,157, comprises a housing
3
having a cavity
2
in a front face thereof for a modular plug (not shown), a predetermined number of terminals
4
arranged in the cavity, a fixing hole
5
provided in a peripheral wall of the housing
3
, an LED
6
fitted in the fixing hole
5
, and an LED connection terminal
7
buried in a rear side of the fixing hole
5
.
The LED
6
comprises a thin rectangular display portion
8
and a pair of bar-shaped legs
9
extending rearwardly from the display portion
8
. The LED
6
is installed in the fixing hole horizontally such that a front end
10
of the display portion
8
projects from the housing
3
. The LED connection terminal
7
comprises a clamp
11
for holding the leg
9
, which contacts with side faces
12
of the leg
9
. The LED connection terminal
7
further comprises a pair of connection pieces
14
extending downwardly from a rear part of the clamp
11
. A lower portion
15
of the connection piece
14
projects from the housing
3
and is connected to a circuit board (not shown).
In order to fix the LED
6
to the housing
3
, the LED
6
is press-fitted to the fixing hole
5
from a front side of the housing
3
so that the legs
9
are held in the clamp
11
. To remove the LED
6
, it is pulled out by holding the front end
10
of the display portion
8
by a tool such as a plier.
However, the position of the modular jack
1
is restricted to such a position that the LED connection terminal
7
is provided, because the modular jack
1
is connected to the circuit board through the LED connection terminal
7
buried in the housing
3
. Otherwise, the position of the circuit board is required to be changed to an area where the modular jack
1
is placed. Also, it is difficult to connect the modular jack
1
to a circuit board because the LED connection terminal
7
is fixed to the housing, resulting in the low work efficiency. The complicated structure of the LED connection terminal
7
makes it difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost. In addition, it requires an extensive design change of the LED connection terminal
7
to change the horizontal arrangement of the LED
6
to vertical arrangement, which decreases the freedom in arrangement of the LED.
Moreover, a projection part is formed on side face
12
of the leg
9
during manufacturing so that there is the risk that connection between the leg
9
and the clamp
11
is made through the projection. Consequently, the connection therebetween is not stable, reducing the electrical reliability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a modular jack capable of increasing the arrangement freedom of modular jack and the LED, reducing the manufacturing cost, and improving the reliability.
A modular jack according to the invention comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED) that is connected to a predetermined circuit board through a lead.
Preferably, the connection between the LED and the lead is made by a connection terminal. The connection terminal may be a crimping terminal, which is crimped on the lead wire.
The modular jack comprises a housing having at least one LED contact portion for preventing rearward movement of the LED and terminal contact portions for preventing forward movement of the connection terminal.
With such a structure it is possible to improve the arrangement freedom of the modular jack and the LED, reduce the manufacturing cost, and improve an electrical reliability.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5700157 (1997-12-01), Chung
patent: 5704802 (1998-01-01), Loudermilk
patent: 5876240 (1999-03-01), Derstine et al.
patent: 6319062 (2001-11-01), Ma et al.

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