Abstract:
A connector is provided. The connector includes a lighting element, a plurality of pins; and a housing covering the pins. The house includes at least one slot receiving the lighting element and having a plurality of engaging elements disposed on the slot and at least one stopper disposed at an open side of the slot.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to a connector and a housing thereof, and in particular to a connector and a housing with a simpler fabricating procedure and capability for reworking. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    As the internet is broadly used, a connector with high reliability is essential for internet connection. Referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a conventional RJ-45 type connector  1  is equipped with a LED  12  to identify the connection of the connector  1  with other elements. In a conventional structure, a slot  13  is formed on a housing  11  of the connector  1  for receiving the LED  12 . When the LED  12  is inserted into the slot  13 , glue is added to the gap between the LED  12  and the housing  11  and then baked to secure the LED  12  to the slot  13 . During the baking process, the LED  12  is usually damaged, which causes reduction of connector  1  yield. 
         [0005]    In addition, as the LED  12  is glued to the housing  11 , if the LED  12  is found to have any defects, the connector  1  must be discarded, increasing manufacture cost. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0006]    A connector and a housing thereof according to the invention are disclosed. The connector includes a lighting element, a plurality of pins, and a housing. The housing covers the pins and includes a slot, a plurality of engaging elements and at least one stopper. The lighting element is disposed in the slot. The engaging elements are disposed in the housing which is close to the slot. The stopper is disposed at the open side of the slot. When the lighting element is disposed in the slot, the engaging elements contact the lighting element, and the stopper contacts the engaging element and the lighting element. 
         [0007]    The slot is defined by a bottom and two lateral walls extending from the bottom along a longitudinal direction. The engaging elements are disposed on the lateral walls. The engaging elements are integrally formed with the lateral walls as a single piece. 
         [0008]    The engaging elements can be stripe-shaped and can be made of material capable of temporally deforming. 
         [0009]    The stopper has a first part and a second part. The first part is received in the slot. The housing further includes a hole for accommodating the second part. 
         [0010]    The stopper partially covers the lighting element. 
         [0011]    The first part of the stopper abuts the engaging element and the lighting element. 
         [0012]    The connector further includes a cover disposed above the housing and reveals the slot. The cover can be T-shaped. 
         [0013]    The lighting element is a light emitting diode, an organic electroluminescent device or a laser diode. 
         [0014]    The specific terminal is a RJ-45 connector, a RJ-11 connector or a USB connector. 
         [0015]    Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1A  is a schematic view of a conventional RJ-45 connector without LED; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 1B  is a schematic view of the conventional RJ-45 of  FIG. 1A  connector with LED; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is an embodiment of a connector of the invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic view of a housing of the connector of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3B  is a enlarged view of a slot of the connector of  FIG. 3A ; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the assembly of the stopper and the lighting element of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
       [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 A and  3 B, a connector  2  according to the present invention includes a lighting element  22 , a plurality of pins (not shown) and a housing  21 . The housing  21  covers the pins (not shown) and includes a slot  23 , a plurality of engaging elements  2321   a,    2321   b  and at least one stopper  211 . The slot  23  is defined by a bottom  231  and two lateral walls  232   a  and  232   b  to accommodate the lighting element  22 . The engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b  are disposed on the lateral walls  232   a  and  232   b,  respectively. The engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b  are attached to the lateral walls  232   a  and  232   b  by binding, engaging, latching or welding. The engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b  can also be integrally formed with the lateral walls  232   a  and  232   b  as a monolithic piece. The engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b  contact the lighting element  22 . A stopper  211  is disposed at an open side of the slot  23  and abuts the engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b.  As the lighting element  22  has at least one lead  222 , the stopper  211  abuts the lead  222  with the aid of the engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b.  The pins of the connector  2  are connected to a specific terminal which can be a RJ-45 terminal, a RJ-11 terminal or an USB connector. 
         [0024]    To simplify the manufacture process, a cover  212  is disposed on the housing  21 . The cover  212  can be T-shaped, whereby the slot  23  is revealed from the lateral sides of the cover  212 . The lighting element  22 , such as a light emitting diode, an organic electroluminescent device or a laser diode, can be disposed in the slot  23 . During the disposition, as a distance between the engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b  is slightly smaller than the width of the body  221  of the lighting element  22  so that the engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b  abut the body  221  first. Next, when a force is exerted on the engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b,  the engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b,  which are stripe-shaped, deform temporally to allow the body  221  to pass by and enter the slot  23 . When the lighting element  22  contacts the bottom  231  of the slot  23 , the body  221  is completely accommodated in the slot  23 . When the force on the engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b  is eliminated, the engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b  return to original condition. Therefore, the body  221  is held by the slot  23  and cannot escape therefrom. 
         [0025]    To improve the connection, more than one stoppers  221  can be disposed to fix the lead  222  of the lighting element  22 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the stopper  211  is installed after the lighting element  22  is accommodated in the slot  23  (omitted in  FIG. 4 ). The stopper  211  is made of polymer such as plastic and has a first part  211   a  and a second part  211   b.  Referring to  FIG. 4  in view of  FIG. 3A , at the beginning of the installation, the second part  211   b  is accommodated into a hole  213  and fixed thereto. The first part  211   a  is inserted into the slot  23  by the following described method. The first part  211   a  is partially received in the slot  23 . The area of the first part  211   a  in the slot  23  depends on specific requirements. If necessary, the first part  211   a  can be entirely inserted into the slot  23 . As the stopper  211  is disposed between the engaging elements  2321   a  and  2321   b  and the first and second parts  221   a,    221   b  are fixed, the lead  222  is pressed and fixed by the stopper  211 . Along with the engaging elements  2321   a,    2321   b  and the body  221  of the lighting element  22 , the lighting element  22  is also strongly fixed to the housing  21 . 
         [0026]    As described above, the lighting element  22  is mechanically fixed by the engaging elements  2321   a,    2321   b  and the stopper  211 , eliminating the need for a gluing or baking process, which eliminates possibility for damage of the lighting element  22  due to a heating process. In addition, as the engaging elements  2321   a,    2321   b  are deformable, the lighting element  22  can be removed from the housing  21  without destroying the housing  21 . The connector  2  can be used to receive another lighting element  22 , which saves costs for reworking. 
         [0027]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the Art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.