Socket connector having additional ring

Details Socket connector having additional ring Socket connector having additional ring

2002-04-30

2003-04-22

Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With indicating or identifying provision

C439S188000, C439S668000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06551127

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio socket connector, and particularly to an audio socket connector having a colored ring for strengthening and identifying the connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, an audio socket connector for transmitting audio signal comprises an insulative housing with a mating head extending forwardly therefrom for mating with a mating plug connector. The prior art of this kind of socket connector is disclosed in Taiwan Patent Nos. 461617 and 427559, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,074,218, 6,234,833 and 6,050,854. U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,833 discloses a stacked audio connector assembly comprising three electrical connectors
2
, a grounding terminal
50
, a first group terminal
51
a second group terminal
52
, a third group terminal
53
and a first side cover
41
and a second side cover
42
. The first group terminal
51
, the second group terminal
52
and the grounding terminal
50
are mounted on the first side cover
41
. The third group terminal
53
is mounted on the second side cover
42
. Each connector
2
has a front projection
210
extending forwardly from a housing
20
thereof. Because a mating plug connectors is frequently inserted into or pulled out one of the electrical connectors
2
, the front projection
210
and the housing
20
are subjected to a high stress. Furthermore because the electrical connector
2
is slender, the housing
20
and the front projection
210
are weak in structure. A junction between the front projection
210
and the housing
20
is the weakest part which is most likely to be broken due to the stress induced by the insertion/withdrawal of the mating plug connector into/from the audio socket connector.
Furthermore, when more than one audio socket connectors are needed to be used together in an electrical apparatus, the housings of the socket connectors are made of different colored plastic materials thereby facilitating a user to connect different audio systems of the apparatus through the connectors. The housings made of different colored plastic materials are expensive; accordingly, the connectors have relatively high cost.
Therefore, it is necessary to have an improved audio socket connector which has a reinforced housing structure and a low cost regarding color labeling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an audio socket connector having an increased strength in its housing structure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an audio socket connector with a color identification of low cost.
In order to achieve the objects set forth above, an audio socket connector of the present invention comprises an insulating housing, a plurality of terminals received in the housing and a ring. The insulating housing has a mating portion at a front end thereof, and a sleeve projecting from the mating portion for guiding an insertion of a plug of a mating audio plug connector into the socket connector. A ring assembled onto the sleeve has a color different from that of the housing. The ring is used as a color labeling for the connector.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6050854 (2000-04-01), Fang et al.
patent: 6077126 (2000-06-01), Peng
patent: 6168448 (2001-01-01), Chang
patent: 6220898 (2001-04-01), Wu
patent: 6234833 (2001-05-01), Tsai et al.

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