Abstract:
Provided is an improved audio receptacle connector such as one mounted in a mobile communication product. The audio receptacle connector improves the conventional SMT terminals as compression type terminals in order to achieve a perfect connection to a PCB. A mobile communication product can have improved communication quality by incorporating the audio receptacle connector thereinto.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to audio receptacle connectors, and more particularly to an audio receptacle connector having compression type terminals adapted to mate with an audio plug for audio signal transmission. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Audio receptacle connectors have been widely employed in audio-visual products. Their primary function is to transmit audio signal between two systems. In recent years, a wide variety of portable electrical products (e.g., mobile phones, PDA, MP3s, laptop computers, etc.) are available. Thus, application of the audio receptacle connectors in these products becomes more important. Each electrical product has its own exclusively applicable audio receptacle connector. For such products, please refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,346,013 and 6,368,156. The conventional audio receptacle connectors are soldered to the printed circuit board (PCB) via through-holes or mounted on the PCB by surface mounting (SMT). However, it is not appropriate for a portable electrical product having limited internal space or a small PCB. On the other hand, generally speaking, most of the construction of SMT connector terminals are relatively complex and need several stamping processes to produce. And in turn, it needs several sets of relatively complex molds in the manufacturing process, resulting in an increase of the production cost. Further, in the known SMT audio connectors, the fastening of the grounding terminal and the insulative housing is still done by the known through-hole soldering connectors. That is, engage with each other by snapping the snapping hole on the terminal with the convex piece on the housing. However, such fastening is not reliable. As a result, it is easy to disengage in response to collision. Moreover, the fastening can increase the consumption of materials of terminal and insulative housing. And in turn, the manufacturing cost is increased significantly. 
     In addition, the product applied in a different environment has a different requirement about the insertion force of the receptacle connector, especially, in the portable devices. Thus, a factor of applying the product in different environment must be considered since the required insertion force is not the same. In the above-mentioned SMT terminal construction, the required insertion force for the mating receptacle connector is evenly shared by the terminals. If the insertion force increases or decreases, the molds must be redesigned or reselect materials, resulting in a further increase of the manufacturing cost. 
     Moreover, the known audio receptacle connector has a single diameter. After many times of insertion the terminals are easy to wear and their resilience may degrade significantly. This is because the body of the audio plug rubs the terminals repeatedly. Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved audio receptacle connector in order to overcome the inadequacies of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     For overcoming the inadequacies of the prior audio receptacle connector, the present invention provides an improved audio receptacle connector adapted to connect to a PCB through its compression type terminals. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of the audio receptacle connector by forming terminals of the connector as compression type. The compression type terminals are adapted to easily connect to the PCB. The present invention can carry out a convenient component replacement and significantly reduce the manufacturing cost. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of the audio receptacle connector in which its compression type terminals are formed to bend laterally in an angle and extend outward from the body portion of the terminal so as to reduce space occupied by the connector on the PCB. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides an audio receptacle connector comprising an insulative housing of being substantially parallelepiped comprising a body portion, a mating portion extended along an axis of the body portion, an insertion hole disposed on the mating portion, a plurality of terminal grooves on a bottom surface of the body portion, and a plurality of slots on a rear of the terminal grooves; and a terminal assembly comprising a plurality of pairs of terminals, a grounding terminal, and a receiving terminal; wherein solder legs of the terminal assembly are flexibly compressible, wherein each terminal has a compression portion bent and extended outward from a bottom of the terminal, and wherein a contact portion is formed at an end of the compression portion for contacting a PCB. 
     In one aspect of the present invention the plurality of terminals are placed in the predetermined holes of the insulative housing in which each terminal has a compression portion for flexibly compressing itself onto the PCB for electrical connection. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, the audio receptacle connector further comprises a grounding terminal and a receiving terminal in which the grounding terminal is adapted to shield EMI (electromagnetic interference) and rub in between the receiving terminal and the audio plug for fastening the audio plug in the audio receptacle connector. Further, it is possible of obtaining different insertion forces by varying the shape of the receiving terminal so as to improve quality and enhance functionality of the audio receptacle connector. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of audio receptacle connector according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the assembled audio receptacle connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is another perspective view of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 , an audio receptacle connector  1  constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The audio receptacle connector  1  comprises an insulative housing  10  and a terminal assembly  20 . The insulative housing  10  is approximately a rectangular body including a body portion  11  and a mating portion  12  extended along an axial direction of the body portion  11  from one side of the insulative housing  10 . On the mating portion  12  there is provided an insertion hole  13  passed through the body portion  11  and the mating portion  12 . The body portion  11  has a top surface  101 , a first sidewall  102 , a second sidewall  103 , and a bottom surface  104 . On the rear end of the top surface  101  there are provided a plurality of snapping holes  1011  adapted to engage with the convex spurs disposed on the top portion of the terminals. On both sides of the bottom surface  104  there are provided a plurality of notches  105  as predetermined electrical circuit on the PCB contacted each compression portion of the terminals. On the bottom surface  104  of the body portion  11  there are provided a plurality of terminal grooves. In the front of the bottom surface  104  there are provided first and second terminal grooves  1041  and  1042  for permitting the grounding terminal  25  and the receiving terminal  26  to insert vertically. On the rear end of the body portion  11  adjacent the first sidewall  102  there are provided a first slot  1043  and a second slot  1044 . Adjacent to the second sidewall  103  there are provided a third slot  1045  and a fourth slot  1046 . The first and the second slots  1043  and  1044  serve as the retaining grooves for the first flexible terminal  21  and the first cooperating terminal  22 . The third and the fourth slots  1045  and  1046  serve as the retaining grooves for the second flexible terminal  23  and the second cooperating terminal  24 . In the front of the third slot  1045  there is provided a snapping hole  1012 . 
     The terminal assembly  20  comprises a first flexible terminal  21 , a first cooperating terminal  22 , a second flexible terminal  23 , a second cooperating terminal  24 , a grounding terminal  25 , and a receiving terminal  26 . The grounding terminal  25  and the receiving terminal  26  are vertical insertion terminals. The first flexible terminal  21  and the first cooperating terminal  22  together form a pair of switch terminals. The second flexible terminal  23  and the second cooperating terminal  24  together form another pair of switch terminals. 
     The first flexible terminal  21  employs a vertical plate as its main portion  210 . On upper and lower ends of the main portion  210  each has a convex spur  213  for fastening the terminal. On the main portion  210  there are provided a laterally projected flexible arm  214  served as a contact with the audio plug. The flexible arm  214  is convex shape. On a distal end of the flexible arm  214  there are provided a contact portion  215  adapted to contact the first cooperation terminal  22 . On a bottom surface of the main portion  210  there are provided a compression portion  216  laterally bent with respect to the main portion  210 . On a distal end of the compression portion  216  there is provided an arched contact portion  217 . On a rear end of the main portion  210  there is further provided a lateral bent portion  218  adapted to engage with the snapping groove  1021  on the first sidewall  102  of the insulative housing  10 . The first cooperation terminal  22  is bent and a straight portion thereof is formed as a snapping portion  221 . On upper and lower ends of the snapping portion  221  each is provided with a convex spur  222  for fastening. Snapping portion  221  also serves as a contact with the first flexible terminal  21 . The lateral portion is formed as a stop piece  223  on which there is provided a concave hole  224  adapted to abut head of the audio plug for enhancing the fastening. On bottom surface of the snapping portion  221  there is provided a compression portion  225  laterally bent about the snapping portion  221 . On a distal end of the compression portion  225  there is provided an arched contact portion  226 . 
     The second flexible terminal  24  employs a vertical plate as its main portion  240 . On upper and lower ends of the main portion  240  each has a convex spur  243  for fastening the terminal. On the main portion  240  there is further provided a laterally projected flexible arm  244  as a contact with the audio plug. The flexible arm  244  extends outward from a rear end of the main portion  240 . On a rear end of the flexible arm  244  there is provided a contact portion  245  adapted to contact the second cooperation terminal  24 . On a bottom surface of the main portion  240  there is further provided a compression portion  245  laterally bent with respect to the main portion  240 . On a distal end of the compression portion  246  there is provided an arched contact portion  247 . On a rear end of the main portion  240  there is also provided a lateral bent portion  248  adapted to engage with the snapping groove  1031  disposed on the second sidewall  103 . The second cooperation terminal  23  also employs a vertical plate as main portion  230 . On upper and lower ends of the main portion  230  each has a convex spur  233  also for fastening. On bottom surface of the main portion  230  there is provided a laterally bent compression portion  234 . On a distal end of the compression portion  234  there is provided an arched contact portion  235 . 
     The grounding terminal  25  is placed in the first terminal groove  1041  in the front of the insulative housing  10 . A base of the grounding terminal  25  is formed as a vertical main portion  250 . On both sides of the main portion  250  each is provided a convex spur  251  for fastening. On a middle of the main portion  250  a flexible arm  252  is extended. On a distal end of the flexible arm  252  there is provided a slightly bent contact portion  253 . On bottom of the main portion  250  there is also provided a laterally bent compression portion  254 . A distal end of the compression portion  254  there is provided an arched contact portion  255 . 
     The receiving terminal  26  is placed in the second terminal groove  1042  in the front of the insulative housing  10 . The receiving terminal  26  is formed as a vertical plate. The vertical portion is formed as a fastening portion  261 . On both sides of the fastening portion  261  each has a convex spur  262  for fastening. On a middle of the fastening portion  261  there is provided a contact portion  263  having a concave shape for contacting the audio plug. On a bottom of the fastening portion  264  there is provided a laterally bent compression portion  264 . On a distal end of the compression portion  264  there is provided an arched contact portion  265 . 
     In the present invention all terminals are flexibly compressed and are bent laterally and extended outward from bottom of the respective main portions. On a distal end of the terminal there is provided a compression portion adapted to connect the PCB. 
     Prior terminal solder legs of such receptacle connector are formed mainly by means of SMT or through-hole with the terminal solder legs soldered directly onto the PCB or via through-holes drilled on the PCB. Such is inconvenient in assembly. In contrast, the terminals of the present receptacle connector contact the PCB in a compression type. Therefore, the present invention can substantially eliminate defects associated with securing the receptacle connector onto the PCB in the prior art. 
     The assembly of the present invention is very simple. First, vertically insert the grounding terminal  25  and the receiving terminal  26  from the bottom surface  104  of the insulative housing  10  into the first terminal groove  1041  and the second terminal groove  1042  respectively. Next, engage the convex spurs  251  and  262  on the grounding terminal  25  and the receiving terminal  26  respectively with the terminal grooves. The contact portion  263  of the receiving terminal  26  is disposed in the insertion hole passed the insulative housing  10  to rub the audio plug for providing a relatively strong insertion force. Further, it is possible of controlling the rub and contact extent between the audio plug  40  and the receiving terminal  26  by varying height projected inward from the contact portion in order to obtain a different insertion force. Then respectively insert the first flexible terminal  21  and the first cooperation terminal  22  toward a front direction into the corresponding first and second slots  1043  and  1044 . The second cooperation terminal  23  and the second flexible terminal  24  are inserted respectively into the corresponding third and fourth slots  1045  and  1046 . Dispose the spurs  213 ,  222  and  243  on main portions of the first flexible terminal  21 , the first cooperation terminal  22 , and the second flexible terminal  24  respectively so as to engage with the snapping holes  1011  on the rear portion of the top surface  101  of the insulative housing  10 . Engage the spur  233  on bottom surface of the second cooperation  23  with the snapping hole  1012  in front of the third slot  1045 . As a result, the terminals are fastened. 
     In addition, the compression portions  216 ,  225 ,  234 ,  246 ,  254 , and  264  on the above terminal assembly all extend out of the bottom surface  104  of the insulative housing  10  to cooperate with the notches  105  on both sides of the bottom surface  104  so as to electrically connect to the PCB. As an end, signal can be communicated therethrough. 
     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.