Coaxial connector with selector switch

Details Coaxial connector with selector switch Coaxial connector with selector switch

2001-08-24

2003-03-18

Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Having circuit interrupting provision effected by mating or...

C200S051100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06533593

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a coaxial connector with a selector switch for cellular phones and radio sets.
BACKGROUND ART
Many electronic devices such as cellular phones and radio sets have on their internal printed circuit boards a coaxial connector with a selector switch for use during inspection and maintenance.
In this kind of selector switch-incorporating coaxial connector used on cellular phones, a receptacle of the connector has, for example, a construction in which a first contact connected to a transmission/reception circuit and a second contact connected to an antenna of the cellular phone are normally closed. For inspection, a coaxial plug connected with a measuring instrument is inserted into the receptacle to bring the first and second contacts out of conduction and connect the first contact to the coaxial plug.
FIG. 8
shows a conventional construction of the connector of this kind.
In the receptacle of the conventional connector shown in
FIG. 8
, a first contact
52
and a second contact
53
are arranged in a plug insertion hole
51
formed in a connector housing
50
made from an insulating material. The first contact
52
is connected, for example, to the above-described transmission/reception circuit of a cellular phone. The second contact
53
is connected to an antenna of the cellular phone. The plug insertion-side end of the connector housing
50
is covered with a metal shell
54
that is brought into contact with an outer conductive contact of the inserted coaxial plug.
The first contact
52
and the second contact
53
are normally in contact with each other. Accordingly, the transmission/reception circuit is connected to the antenna of the cellular phone through the first contact
52
and the second contact
53
.
When, for inspection, a coaxial plug connected with a measuring instrument through a coaxial cable is inserted into the plug insertion hole
51
, it pushes down the first contact
52
to part from the second contact
53
. At the same time, the first contact
52
touches an exposed, center conductive contact provided at the front end of the coaxial plug. The metal shell
54
touches an external conductive (wire mesh) contact of the coaxial plug. As a result, the transmission/reception circuit is connected, through the first contact
52
and the contact of the coaxial plug, to the measuring instrument attached to the coaxial cable.
The conventional technology shown in
FIG. 8
has a drawback that because the contact portion of the first contact
52
and the second contact
53
are exposed to the outside as they are, dirt and dust are trapped in the contact portion, resulting in easily generating a poor electrical contact.
FIG. 9
shows another conventional technology that overcomes the problem described above.
In this conventional technology, the contact portion of the first contact
52
and the second contact
53
are covered with an upper housing
55
A. A guide hole
56
, in which a selector terminal
57
is movably fitted, is formed at the upper housing
55
A.
When the coaxial plug is not inserted, the first contact
52
and the second contact
53
come in contact with each other, as in the preceding example. The front flange portion
57
A of the selector terminal
57
is in contact with the first contact
52
at all times.
When the coaxial plug is inserted into the plug insertion hole
51
, it pushes down the selector terminal
57
and therefore the first contact
52
, causing the contact portion of the first contact
52
to part from the second contact
53
. As a result, the first contact
52
is connected to the center conductive contact of the inserted coaxial plug through the selector terminal
57
, as with the above.
In the conventional technology shown in
FIG. 9
, although it is possible to prevent infiltration of dust because the contact portion of the contacts are covered, there are some problems that an impedance matching between the measuring instrument and the transmission/reception circuit is difficult, and thus, a high frequency characteristic degrades, since the selector terminal
57
comes always in contact with the first contact
52
. Further, a thickness of the front flange portion
57
A of the selector terminal
57
needs to have a thickness that allows for a clearance At equal to the thickness of the second contact
53
in order to ensure a reliable touch between the first contact
52
and the second contact
53
. This construction may result in the front flange portion
57
A of the selector terminal
57
coming into contact at one time and out of contact at other times due to the clearance at the time when vibrations are created, deteriorating the high frequency characteristic.
FIG. 10
shows still another conventional technology that overcomes these problems.
In this conventional technology, the selector terminal
57
is urged (upward) toward a coaxial plug
60
side by a coil spring
58
. In the normal state in which the coaxial plug
60
is not inserted, the selector terminal
57
is out of contact with the first contact
52
. An insulator
59
is interposed between the coil spring
58
and the selector terminal
57
.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, when the coaxial plug
60
is inserted into the plug insertion hole
51
, the selector terminal
57
is pushed down against the force of the coil spring
58
. Accordingly, the first contact
52
is pushed down to part from the second contact
53
. As a result, the first contact
52
is connected to a center conductive contact
61
of the coaxial plug
60
through the selector terminal
57
, as described in the previous example. A metal shell
54
on the receptacle side touches an outer conductive contact
62
of the coaxial plug
60
.
With this conventional technology, it is therefore possible to make an improvement on the problem of the deteriorated high frequency characteristic experienced with the conventional technology of
FIG. 9
which is caused by the continual contact of the selector terminal
57
or by the intermittent contacting and parting action of the selector terminal
57
due to vibrations.
In the conventional technology of
FIG. 10
, however, the use of the coil spring
58
increases the height of the receptacle of the connector. Hence, it hinder a reduction in the size of the connector. The connector of this kind used on electronic devices such as cellular phones is normally required to have a height of the order of several millimeters and an increasingly smaller height of the receptacle of the connector is being called for.
Further, because the receptacle of the connector of this conventional technology uses a coil spring, an automatic assembly using an automated machine is difficult, making the manufacturing efficiency low. Furthermore, the use of the coil spring increases the number of parts, which is detrimental to a cost reduction.
The present invention has been accomplished under these circumstances and it is an object of the invention to provide a selector switch-incorporating coaxial connector which can realize a reduction in the connector height, make the assembly easy and reduce the parts count.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
A coaxial connector with a selector switch comprising: a receptacle housing made from an insulator; a pair of contacts provided in a space formed in the receptacle housing and a point of said contacts coming in contact with each other; a onductive selector terminal movably supported in an opening formed in the receptacle housing to enable one of the pair of contacts to push in a direction that parts the paired contacts from each other; and an elastic member moving the selector terminal in a direction away from the one of the pair of contacts by an elastic recovering force thereof; wherein a pressing force of the coaxial plug as it is connected to the coaxial connector is applied to the one of the pair of contacts through the selector terminal to separate the pair of contacts from each other and to electrically connect the one of the pair of contacts to a contact of the coaxial plug through the selector terminal; wher

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